- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Viktor Zubkov becomes Russia's new prime minister

Subscribe
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday appointing Viktor Zubkov prime minister after the lower house of parliament voted overwhelmingly to back his candidacy, the Kremlin press office said.
MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday appointing Viktor Zubkov prime minister after the lower house of parliament voted overwhelmingly to back his candidacy, the Kremlin press office said.

Zubkov, 65, chief fiscal monitor for the last six years, was nominated for the job on Wednesday when Putin dismissed the government and prime minister, three months before parliamentary elections. Soon after his nomination, Zubkov announced his intention to run for the presidency in March 2008, when Putin's term is set to expire.

Speaking in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday, Putin confirmed that the new premier could run for the presidency, but said there were at least four other strong candidates, and that the campaign would not be a foregone conclusion.

The president's nomination of the relatively-unknown candidate came as a surprise, following widely-circulated rumors that Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, Putin's close ally seen as his likely successor, would assume the post.

Zubkov, Putin's deputy in the St. Petersburg mayor's office in the 1990s, has also maintained close personal ties with the president.

Viktor Zubkov won the solid backing of the State Duma dominated by the Kremlin-backed United Russia party, which had pledged its support ahead of the vote, along with A Just Russia and the Liberal Democrats, led by ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

In the Duma, 381 lawmakers backed the presidential nominee, 47 voted against, and eight MPs abstained. The candidate needed 200 votes to be elected to the post.

Commitment to Kremlin policies

In his brief speech to lawmakers before the vote in the legislature, Zubkov pledged his commitment to policies pursued by President Putin, highlighting economic growth, the revival of the defense sector and agriculture, and welfare and corruption as chief government priorities, and urging greater individual responsibility.

"The priorities for my job will be the strategic guidelines and action plan outlined in the president's address to parliament - sustainable economic and social development by streamlining government activities and raising officials' personal responsibility," he said.

Zubkov pledged changes to the government, above all to the Health and Social Development Ministry, which has recently been plagued by a series of corruption scandals.

"What could ruin Russia is non-professionalism and corruption, which penetrates our society," he told the State Duma.

Speaking on corruption, a crusade waged by Putin during his tenure, Zubkov told MPs that new legislation was required. "We must pass a law on corruption, as we have discussed this at length, but have not reached a clear definition of what it is."

Zubkov said a body to fight corruption, similar to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service he co-founded and headed, should also be set up. He pledged proper controls over federal funds allocated to the defense sector and state-controlled aircraft- and shipbuilding corporations.

The new premier also urged for more efficient use of natural resources, which make up Russia's main exports, to ensure higher revenues.

Parliament's reaction to Putin's nominee

All parliamentary factions except the Communists and the nationalist Homeland bloc voiced their complete support for the candidate after four-hour consultations on Thursday.

The outspoken Vladimir Zhirinovsky hailed Zubkov as an efficient professional, and reiterated that his team "will be Russia's best government in 30 years."

A Homeland-Patriots of Russia faction member announced the bloc would abstain from the vote, saying it had nothing personally against the candidate, but that his actual political position was entirely unknown.

The Communists praised the professional record of the new premier, who began his career as a metal worker, and led a state farm in Soviet times, but criticized his unquestioning loyalty to the Kremlin.

Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov earlier said the rapid dismissal of the government and prime minister and the new nomination looked more like "a commando operation than a democratic appointment."

A Communist faction member motioned to postpone the vote, saying it was too hasty and could portray the lower house as a "puppet legislature."

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала