Medvedev says Putin should be PM

[tyovan]

Russian President Vladimir Putin should become prime minister after stepping down next year, his chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev says.

Mr Putin named Mr Medvedev, a first deputy prime minister, on Monday as his favourite for the presidency. Mr Putin is due to step down in March.

Mr Medvedev was previously Mr Putin's chief of staff and is chairman of the gas giant Gazprom.

Mr Medvedev has said economic gains must fund "a real social programme".

"I appeal to (President Putin) with a request to give his agreement in principle to head the Russian government after the election of the new president of our country," Mr Medvedev said on Russian television on Tuesday.

"It's one thing to elect a president - it's no less important to maintain the efficiency of the team," he said.

Hot favourite

Mr Medvedev is seen as a strong candidate - thanks to Mr Putin's own popularity. He hails from Mr Putin's native St Petersburg.

Mr Putin is constitutionally obliged to quit after his second presidential term ends next year, but he is expected to retain strong political influence.

Mr Medvedev says he wants the benefits of economic growth to reach all sections of Russian society.

"Now we need to convert all the successes achieved in the past eight years into real programmes," he said.

If elected president, he said, he would pay the greatest attention to social issues.

Mr Medvedev was addressing leaders of the four pro-Kremlin parties backing him, including United Russia, the party which won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month.

The 42-year-old former lawyer managed Mr Putin's election campaign in 2000.

As first deputy prime minister he has overseen national programmes in the areas of health, housing and education.

Russia has made huge economic gains as a result of soaring international oil prices.

The government has been facing demands to channel energy revenues into pensions, benefits and parts of the country's infrastructure that have been decaying since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Pressure for continuity

Mr Putin has made it clear he will retain a significant national leadership role after he leaves office at the end of his second term.

He has said he expects Mr Medvedev to provide continuity.

"We have the chance to form a stable government after the elections in March 2008. And not just a stable government, but one that will carry out the course that has brought results for all of the past eight years," Mr Putin said on Monday.

United Russia leader Boris Gryzlov highlighted Mr Medvedev's role in managing national projects aimed at raising Russian living standards.

"Dmitry Anatolyevich (Medvedev) oversees national projects," he said.

"He oversees the demographic programme and we believe that it is precisely the issues to do with raising standards of living that are the most important issues for the forthcoming four-year period."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7137993.stm


http://images.evrazia.org/images/putin-tsar.jpg

[Igor01]

http://images.evrazia.org/images/putin-tsar.jpg

Tsars in Russia tend to meet very unfortunate ends, a General Secretary is a far more cushy vocation.

http://www.idiot.ru/images/Brezhnevutin.jpg

[tyovan]

спасибо игор :-)

I was looking for that picture and couldn't find it lol

[muck]

Herewith, as this thread seems to be another good opportunity to do so, I'd like to quote former Chancellor and Putin' old crony Gerhard Schröder:


Mr. Putin is beyond doubt a flawless democrat.

[Igor01]

Herewith, as this thread seems to be another good opportunity to do so, I'd like to quote former Chancellor and Putin' old crony Gerhard Schröder:

Like it or not, but 87% of Russians don't give a flying fock about whether he is or he isn't, they'd reelect him in a heartbeat given the opportunity.

He should just declare Russia an Empire, reinstitute monarchy and start his own royal dynasty, enough of this monkeying around with phoney parties, let these clowns argue over insignificant bills in the Duma. Start selling oil and gas for roubles, quietly dump US T-Bils from the currency reserves, rebuild and modernize the communal infrastructure, reunite with Belarus, make repatriatriation of ethnic Slavs from ex-USSR states a national priority, reorganize the Federation to incorporate all ethnic republics and districts into larger Federal subjects, initiate and enforce a true anti-corruption policy, create a safe haven for investments in the face of the unfolding international financial system crisis. Of course, none of this will ever happen, but we'll have plenty of state parades, pseudo patriotic rhetoric and a continued shift toward the "pipeline economy".

[Nightsky]

Herewith, as this thread seems to be another good opportunity to do so, I'd like to quote former Chancellor and Putin' old crony Gerhard Schröder:

As though Sarkozy, Merkel are or Berlusconi and Aznar were flawless democrats :roll: Always this very same argument.

Granted, Putin is tricky, and no doubt not a flawless democrat, but who the hell on earth is a flawless democrat ?

[muck]

It's a bit bold to compare the methods of Putin with the way of lets Sarkozy is governing his country, don't you think?

[asch]

Mr. Putin is beyond doubt a flawless democrat.
and only truly one, remember? p-)

[Liri]

Like it or not, but 87% of Russians don't give a flying fock about whether he is or he isn't, they'd reelect him in a heartbeat given the opportunity.

Oh yeah? I'm surprised it's not 109% of Russians. That reminds me of the elections in Chechnya in where 99% of the people voted for United Russia party and there was a 99.2% turnout at the polls.

[asch]

Oh yeah? I'm surprised it's not 109% of Russians. That reminds me of the elections in Chechnya in where 99% of the people voted for United Russia party and there was a 99.2% turnout at the polls.
yup, Putin personally force them to vote for him. p-)

so tell me, please, what, in your opinion, is real percentage of our citizens who support Putin?

[CPL Trevoga]

Oh yeah? I'm surprised it's not 109% of Russians. That reminds me of the elections in Chechnya in where 99% of the people voted for United Russia party and there was a 99.2% turnout at the polls.

They love Putin in Chechnia. He brought democracy and rule of law and disbanded shairiat dictatorship.

p.s. I saw your avatar and I see where you going with that. Don't. It's not like that.

[Liri]

so tell me, please, what, in your opinion, is real percentage of our citizens who support Putin?

I did. 109%.



I saw your avatar and I see where you going with that.

Trust me it has nothing to do with whatever you're thinking.

[asch]

I did. 109%.
please understand that majority of people come here not to wage stupid flame wars. with that kind of attitude you can gain reputation here you wouldn't want to gain.

[Rictor]

Medvedev endorsing Putin mere days after Putin named Medvedev as his successor?

Startling. Unthinkable! Who could have predicted such a gutsy move?!

[Digimon]

So, what is wrong with this? Is there anything wrong with Putin becoming a prime minister under a new and legitimately elected president?

There is clearly something wrong with Putin becoming a prime minister and then using his power base in Duma to transfer some of the presidential powers to the prime minister. Since he would be enjoying the same powers as before, this would violate the spirit if not the letter of the constitutional law limiting presidential service to two terms. But, prima facie, there seem to be no good reason to have misgivings about Putin assuming the post of the prime minister.

The reason behind two terms limit is, among other things, to prevent the individual in power from usurping over time the power of the position to such an extend that it would become independent from the control of civil society and other branches of government. In Russia, this is particularly important because virtually all powers, whether relating to internal or external policy (economic and financial policy, judicial appointments, military and law enforcement, etc...) belong to the office of the president.

But the position of the prime minister is dramatically different from the position of the president – it is the position of a manager who does not determine the policy, but determines the guidelines and organizes the work of the government based on presidential decrees i.e. policies formulated by the president (Article 113). As obvious from the article 117 the prime minister works at the pleasure of the president and can be easily dismissed. There is no real power in the office of the prime-minister, which becomes clear if you compare the rights and responsibilities that come with the respective positions:

Office of the Prime Minister:



Article 110.

Executive power in the Russian Federation shall be exercised by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The Government of the Russian Federation shall consist of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairmen of the Government and federal ministers.Article 111.

The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation shall be appointed by the President of the Russian Federation with consent of the State Duma.Article 113.
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws and decrees of the President of the Russian Federation shall determine the guidelines of the work of the Government of the Russian Federation and shall organize its work.

Article 114.

The Government of the Russian Federation shall: a) develop and submit the federal budget to the State Duma and ensure compliance therewith; submit a report on the execution of the federal budget to the State Duma; b) ensure the implementation in the Russian Federation of a uniform financial, credit and monetary policy; c) ensure the implementation in the Russian Federation of a uniform state policy in the field of culture, science, education, health, social security and ecology; d) manage federal property; e) adopt measures to ensure the country's defense, state security and the implementation of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation; f) implement measures to ensure legality, the rights and freedoms of citizens, protect property and public law and order and control crime; g) exercise any other powers vested in it by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws and the decrees of the President of the Russian Federation.
The work of the Government of the Russian Federation shall be regulated by federal constitutional law.Article 117.

The Government of the Russian Federation may hand in its resignation which may be accepted or rejected by the President of the Russian Federation.
The President of the Russian Federation may take a decision about the resignation of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Source: http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/const/ch6.html

Office of the President:



Article 80.

The President of the Russian Federation shall be the head of state.
The President shall be the guarantor of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and of human and civil rights and freedoms. In accordance with the procedure established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he shall take measures to protect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, its independence and state integrity, and ensure concerted functioning and interaction of all bodies of state power.
The President of the Russian Federation shall define the basic domestic and foreign policy guidelines of the state in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws.
The President of the Russian Federation as head of state shall represent the Russian Federation inside the country and in international relations.Article 83.
The President of the Russian Federation shall: a) appoint Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation subject to consent of the State Duma; b) have the right to preside over meetings of the Government of the Russian Federation; c) decide on resignation of the Government of the Russian Federation; d) introduce to the State Duma a candidature for appointment to the office of the Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation; submit to the State Duma the proposal on relieving the Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation of his duties; e) appoint and dismiss deputy chairmen of the Government of the Russian Federation and federal ministers as proposed by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation; f) submit to the Federation Council candidates for appointment to the office of judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation as well as the candidate for Prosecutor- General of the Russian Federation; submit to the Federation Council the proposal on relieving the Prosecutor-General of the Russian Federation of his duties; appoint the judges of other federal courts. g) form and head the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the status of which is determined by federal law; h) endorse the military doctrine of the Russian Federation; i) form the staff of the President of the Russian Federation; j) appoint and dismiss plenipotentiary representatives of the President of the Russian Federation; k) appoint and dismiss the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; l) appoint and recall, after consultations with the resp ective committees or commissions of the Federal Assembly, diplomatic representatives of the Russian Federation to foreign states and international organizations.

Article 84.
The President of the Russian Federation shall: a) call elections to the chambers of the State Duma in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal law; b) dissolve the State Duma in cases and under procedures envisaged by the Constitution of the Russian Federation; c) call a referendum under procedures established by federal constitutional law; d) introduce draft laws in the State Duma; e) sign and publish federal laws; f) present annual messages to the Federal Assembly on the situation in the country and on basic directions of the internal and external policies of the state.

Article 85.

The President of the Russian Federation may use dispute-settlement procedures to settle differences between organs of state power of the Russian Federation and organs of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, and also between organs of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation. If no decision is agreed upon, he may turn the dispute over for review by the respective court of law.
The President of the Russian Federation shall have the right to suspend acts by organs of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation if such acts contravene the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws, the international obligations of the Russian Federation, or violate human and civil rights and liberties, pending the resolution of the issue in appropriate court.Article 86.
The President of the Russian Federation shall: a) supervise the conduct of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation; b) conduct negotiations and sign international treaties of the Russian Federation; c) sign instruments of ratification; d) accept credentials and instruments of recall of diplomatic representatives accredited with him.

Article 87.

The President of the Russian Federation shall be the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
In the event of aggression against the Russian Federation or an immediate threat thereof, the President of the Russian Federation shall introduce martial law on the territory of the Russian Federation or in areas thereof with immediate notification thereof of the Federation Council and the State Duma.Source: http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/const/ch4.html

When the Duma changes the powers in favor of the office of the prime minister, then criticism will be warranted.