Rouslan Bodelan

Rouslan Borysovych Bodelan (Ukrainian: Руслан Борисович Боделан, Russian: Руслан Борисович Боделан; born 4 April 1942 in Berezivka village, Balta Raion, Odessa Oblast) is a former Ukrainian politician and statesman.

Soviet times

Rouslan Bodelan started his career in 1959 as a sports coach/teacher in a secondary school. In 1961 he began his work at the "Odessilbud" construction company (within its Construction and Field Assembly Department #14) in Balta.

Since 1964 Bodelan is active in politics, being member and functionary in Komsomol, Communist Party of the Soviet Union and other Soviet organizations. In 1965, he became a First Secretary (Head) of Kiliya Raion Komsomol Organization. His top position in CPSU was the First Secretary of Odessa Regional Committee, which he occupied in April 1990.

Career in independent Ukraine

On 3 April 1990 Bodelan was elected member of the Odessa Oblast Soviet (council). He was later elected a Chairman of this council and was occupying this position up to April 1998. Simultaneously, Bodelan was a Head of Odessa Oblast State Administration (i.e. governor) in July 1995 – May 1998, member of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine in 1994–1998, a member of Maritime Policy Commission under President of Ukraine in 1995–1998, Head of the Commonwealth of Danube States' Executive Group in 1996–1997.

In August 1998 Bodelan was elected a Mayor of Odessa city. He was re-elected as Mayor in 2002, but election results were challenged in courts. In 2005 an Odessa court ruled out the elections as void and proclaimed Eduard Gurwitz a legal Mayor of Odessa.

Being in fact Mayor, Bodelan allegedly took active part in a wide-range election fraud in favor of pro-government candidate during the 2004 presidential election. After the Orange Revolution he fled to Russia, afraid of the criminal prosecution. An investigation of his mayoral activities was opened soon after, Bodelan was charged with abuse of office.

Immigration and return

Bodelan is currently wanted under an Interpol search warrant, but Russian authorities refuse to extradite him. He was granted Russian citizenship in 2006 (which automatically revokes his Ukrainian citizenship) and a position of Deputy Director of the Saint-Petersburg Sea Port. Bodelan refused to return to Ukraine voluntarily, claiming he is afraid of political prosecution by supporters of former President Victor Yuschenko. On 9 April 2010 the ex-mayor returned to Odesa.

Rouslan Bodelan was awarded with a number of Soviet and Ukrainian decorations and medals, including "Labour Red Flag" Order, "Decoration of Honour" Order, Order of Merits III grade, order of St. Volodymyr II grade.