MOSCOW: Russia’s new government began to take shape yesterday as Prime Minister-designate Mikhail Fradkov promised the pro-Kremlin party a plum post in the future cabinet.
President Vladimir Putin ended more than a week of tense speculation Monday by nominating the 53-year-old former tax police chief to replace Mikhail Kasyanov ahead of the March 14 presidential election.
Fradkov announced during meetings with the United Russia parliamentary majority that he would like Alexander Zhukov – a widely respected economic expert and member of the pro-Putin party – as his first deputy.
“I would like United Russia to delegate Zhukov to the post of first deputy prime minister,” the incoming prime minister told the pro-Putin group.
He also announced plans to streamline the government and reduce the number of ministries and other agencies from the current 24 to about 15.
United Russia party leaders said they wanted at least six of its members to serve in the government and a cabinet source told the Interfax news agency that all ministers will be chosen by the end of next week.
The Communist Party meanwhile said it expected to be shut out of government and would vote against Fradkov’s candidacy.
“He has no team, no plan, no economic program of any type,” said Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. But his criticism is unlikely to change the outcome of the confirmation vote since United Russia holds two-thirds of the seats in parliament.
Fradkov until this week served as Russia’ representative to the European Union but remains a relative unknown among the public. The Kommersant business daily ran two large photos of him on its front page over a caption reading: “Many people have forgotten Mikhail Fradkov’s face since his latest assignment abroad.” The bald, portly politician speaks fluent English and Spanish and is said to be linked to the secret services where Putin himself once served.
The former trade minister under Boris Yeltsin is also seen as a low-profile politician who will not seek to challenge Putin as he heads for a virtually assured second term in office.
“The new head of government is not destined to have personal political ambitions, but to take responsibility for radical and unpopular socio-economic reforms developed by others,” the Vedomosti business daily said.
“The president has insured himself against an unpredictable strengthening of a figure who has his own agenda.” “Fradkov symbolizes the fact that the president has taken the government under his total control,” said Sergei Mitrokhin of the liberal Yabloko political party hat was swept out of parliament during December parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile human rights activists said that Fradkov’s appointment proved that the secret services were now taking hold over the Kremlin and warned of a step back for Russia’s democracy. – AFP
Last update on: 3-3-2004