Caught off guard by Luzhkov's sudden question, Konov was not entirely sure either.
He hesitated before replying in an uncertain tone:
"I remember... I don't think so? Right, under what circumstances can an elected governor like you be removed from office?"
"Only if a sitting governor commits illegal or criminal acts, is investigated by prosecutors, and formally charged. Then the Kremlin can submit a proposal, and the Duma will hold a vote. If more than sixty percent vote in favor, the governor can be formally removed from office..."
As he spoke, Luzhkov's voice gradually grew quieter.
Because he vaguely felt that something was not quite right. Even with such a stringent process, removing him from office did not seem particularly difficult for Mikhail!
The removal process involved too many departments and imposed overly harsh requirements. Under normal circumstances, almost no one could push the entire process through, so in "history," no elected governor had ever been removed.
Of course, that "history" only stretched back a little over a decade...
Therefore, whether it was Luzhkov, Konov, or anyone else, no one had imagined that one day, an elected governor like Luzhkov—a veteran politician with such deep roots—might also face the danger of a spectacular downfall!
Konov had clearly thought of this as well. He instinctively continued where Luzhkov had left off:
"These procedures don't seem particularly difficult for Mikhail.
And now that they've arrested Alexander, they obviously have solid evidence to convict him.
It would be one thing if they stopped there, but what if Alexander is merely the opening they needed, and their real target is you..."
The two men fell silent over the phone.
Clearly, the situation they had guessed at was not impossible!
One could even say that things were already showing faint signs of heading in that