Russia's Putin begins second term, government resigns
MOSCOW, May 7 (Prime-Tass) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's second presidential term began Friday after he was sworn in by Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin.
Putin arrived at the Kremlin alone in a black stretch Mercedes escorted by several policemen on motorcycles. He then walked through the long Kremlin Palace halls lined with guests to the gilded Andreyevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Russia's two state-run television networks broadcast the inauguration ceremony live.
Putin walked up to the podium and read out the oath with his right hand on the red-bound copy of the Russian Constitution.
Putin's wife Lyudmila was standing next to the podium together with the wife of Russia's First President Boris Yeltsin, Naina, and Russian top ministers.
Yeltsin, who was expected to be present, could not come as he caught a cold a day before, ITAR-TASS news agency reported quoting Yeltsin's adviser. Earlier Yeltsin said he disapproved of some of Putin's policies.
Putin won the March 14 election with over 70% of the votes in an election campaign, which he dominated. Other candidates had little chance to win the election. In his inaugural speech Putin promised to follow the Constitution by serving the people.
"I've just read the presidential pledge in accordance with the Constitution," he told 1,700 guests gathered in the Kremlin. "But now I want to emphasize its main meaning which is to keep the state intact and faithfully serve the people. These are the president's main responsibilities and I will continue to regard them as paramount," he said.
Putin called for the development of a "mature civil society" in Russia saying that "only free people in a free country can be successful."
"That is the basis for the country's strong economic growth and political stability," he said. "Many problems that seemed impossible to solve" in 2000 had been solved during his first four years in power, he said adding that Russia's economy is in better shape now and Russia's "position in the international arena has strengthened." He said the main goal of his second term is to "achieve a principally better quality of life for our people - achieve real, palpable growth in their well-being." After his oath and speech cannons outside fired a 30-gun salute and Putin walked outside the Kremlin to review a military parade. He stood alone while soldiers from the presidential guard regiment dressed in uniforms of the early 19th century Russian army marched and rode horses. When the regiment's commander reported to Putin he called him "comrade president." Russian military officers still use this Communist-style greeting although Boris Yeltsin was usually addressed as "Mister President".
In accordance with the Constitution, the Russian government resigned immediately after the inauguration.
Shortly after the inauguration Putin met in the Kremlin with Mikhail Fradkov who had just resigned as prime minister and told him that he had submitted his candidacy to the State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, as the new prime minister.
Putin named Fradkov as his new prime minister and reshuffled the government shortly before the presidential election March 14.
The Duma is expected to vote on Fradkov's candidacy on May 12, First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Lyubov Sliska told reporters. Fradkov is most likely to be approved by the Duma, controlled as it is by a pro-Putin majority.
Analysts said that while some changes in the government are still possible, the key reformist ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov and Minister of Economic Development and Trade German Gref will keep their posts.
"Before even having been sworn in, Putin has already completely reshuffled both the personnel in, and the structure of, federal government. There is little doubt that he has a very ambitious agenda for the next four years," Roland Nash, chief strategist with Renaissance Capital said Friday. "In some sense, his first term was spent building a political system that permits the implementation of policy. We should expect him to use the centralized authority he has created to continue rebuilding Russia. The model, however, will not be the Western blueprint of a transition country, but, for better and worse, the Russian version of a great country." End |
