BARNAUL, Russia (AFP) — Fed up with corruption and nepotism among local officials, residents of a far-flung Siberian city are yearning for a more feline type of political representation.

Barsik the cat has been propelled, to stardom after finishing far ahead of his human rivals for the post of mayor of Barnaul in an unofficial poll run by a popular regional social media page.

Political apathy and resentment over corruption scandals at city hall helped the 18-month-old Scottish Fold claw nearly 91 per cent of more than 5,400 votes cast by yesterday.

The poll, launched earlier this month by the Altai Online page on Russian social network Vk, has become the talk of the town in the city of 700,000 people, located some 3,600 kilometres (2,250 miles) east of Moscow.

“People don’t know who to trust anymore,” local pensioner Yevgeny Kuznetsov told AFP, explaining Barsik’s popularity. “They have come to the conclusion that they can’t trust the authorities.”

Barnaul, a city close to the picturesque Altai mountains, has been rocked by a series of high-profile corruption cases.

A commission made up of the city council and Regional Governor Alexander Karlin will convene next week to appoint a new city administrator after the incumbent, Igor Savintsev, quit in August following abuse of power allegations.