NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia -- An orangutan at the city zoo received more votes than a polar bear resembling the symbol of Russia’s ruling political party, prompting authorities in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk to halt a poll to choose the city’s animal mascot.
Novosibirsk Deputy Mayor Anna Tereshkova told reporters that the poll had been halted and "new ways to define the animal symbol" for the city would be found -- excluding animals in the city's zoo.
Tereshkova said that the poll "turned into a political platform," telling reporters on February 7 that the online survey on the city's government's website "was discredited" by interference of "organized groups."
Novosibirsk’s administration announced the poll last month, proposing that city residents choose a mascot from five animals associated with the zoo: a Pallas's cat named Aisha; an orangutan, Batu; a Siberian tiger, Max; a snow leopard, Sayan; and a polar bear, Shilka.
Many in the city considered Shilka the authorities' favorite as the ruling United Russia party's symbol carries a picture of a bear.
Some of the residents also noted that Shilka had been sold to a zoo in Japan years ago and has a different name there.
Shilka led the poll after it started in late January. However, after bloggers and activists called on city residents to be more active and urged them to vote for Batu, the orangutan caught up.
In the end, the orangutan -- dubbed "a nonsystemic" candidate by the bloggers and activists -- got almost 40 percent of votes, while the polar bear got less than 12 percent.
More than 133,000 of Novosibirsk’s more than 1.6 million residents took part in the vote.
United Russia has been losing popularity across Russia amid worsening economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over its aggression against Ukraine and crackdown on dissent.
Last September, Kremlin critics said the authorities secured United Russia's victory in the general elections by carefully managing the poll from the start, with the opposition largely barred from running and a crackdown on government opponents that shows no sign of abating.
Despite the criticism, President Vladimir Putin declared that the elections were "free and fair."
The new poll to select a mascot for Novosibirsk will be announced later, according to Tereshkova, who said the candidates will be a squirrel, a robin, and domesticated foxes.