Ramazan Abdulatipov, the head of Daghestan, has resigned from his post. It is not yet known who will replace him.

‘The reason for my resignation is age, after all I’m 71. I think that this is the reason because in all other respects, the republic is on the rise, it has been led out of a very hard crisis’ he said in an interview with Moscow-based radio Govorit Moskva.

RBK had earlier reported his resignation citing its own sources. ‘It was unexpected for him, nobody imagined it. Abdulatipov was counting on working until the end [of his term]’, RBK cited the source close to Abdulatipov as saying

Rumors of his resignation surfaced on 26 September, with Vedomosti newspaper claiming the Kremlin was planning to dismiss five regional heads, including  Abdulatipov and North Ossetian head Viacheslav Bitarov.

According to the report, a number of older regional heads who are seen as being unable to properly organise the upcoming presidential election will leave their positions this Autumn.

On 25 September, the Governor of the Samara Oblast, Nikolay Merkushkin was dismissed. The next day, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Valery Shantsev, also resigned ahead of schedule.

Abdulatipov was appointed acting head of the republic on 27 January 2013, replacing Magomedsalam Magomedov, who resigned ahead of schedule. Abdulatipov officially assumed his position as head of the republic later that year on 8 September.

It is unclear who is currently serving as acting head of Daghestan following Abdulatipov’s resignation. In an interview with Govorit Moskva, Abdulatipov said that he had suggested several candidates for his replacement, but ‘the decision is made by the president’.

‘My only request is for Daghestan to be in safe hands’, he added.