President Vladimir Putin dismissed the government and nominated little-known Zubkov, 65, for premier in a surprise move Wednesday three months before parliamentary and six months before presidential polls. Experts say the nomination is designed to ensure the succession of power after the incumbent leader steps down.
Zubkov, who has headed the Federal Financial Monitoring Service for the last six years and was Putin's deputy in the St. Petersburg mayor's office in the 1990s, will set out short-term government priorities to lawmakers at 12:30 Moscow time (8:30 a.m. GMT), and answer their questions before the vote.
His speech, a question-and-answer session, and the vote are expected to take 1.5 hours. All State Duma factions, except the Communists, voiced their support for the candidate after four-hour consultations Thursday.
"We plan to back the candidacy of Viktor Zubkov unanimously," said Boris Gryzlov, State Duma chairman and leader of the Kremlin-backed United Russia party's faction in the house, with Just Russia and Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) members echoing his words.
Outspoken LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky hailed Zubkov as an efficient professional: "I believe this will be Russia's best government, one comprising professionals who have stood the test of time."
The Communists praised Zubkov's record as a Soviet bureaucrat, but said he was supportive of the course pursued by the Kremlin.
"The faction has made a unanimous decision not to support his candidacy for the post of premier," Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov said, adding the rapid dismissal of the government and prime minister, and the new nomination resembled "a special commando operation, rather than a democratic appointment."
On Friday, a Communist faction member motioned to postpone the vote saying it was too hasty and could portray the house as a "puppet legislature." The motion was rejected by the other factions.
Speaking to reporters following State Duma discussions Thursday, Zubkov said he did not plan to join any political parties and promised changes to the structure and membership of the government. He also did not rule out that he would run for president in March 2008: "If I achieve something in the post of premier, this scenario is possible."
Sergei Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's allies recently promoted to first deputy prime ministers and seen as top presidential contenders, have repeatedly denied their presidential ambitions.
