Putin signals
he intends to stay in charge of Russia
MOSCOW (AP) -
When Boris Yeltsin left the Kremlin eight years ago, he gave
Vladimir Putin the pen he had used to sign important documents
and decrees, a gesture symbolizing the transfer of power to Russia's
new president.
When Putin left
the Kremlin, he took the pen with him.
Putin, who became
prime minister Thursday, has signaled that he intends to remain
Russia's principal leader, at least in the short term - and possibly
much longer. He is keeping the trappings of his presidency and
many of its powers as well.
It was not always
meant to be this way. Putin initially said he intended to hand
the full powers of the presidency to his chosen successor and
step aside. But as the time drew near, he clearly changed his
mind as infighting between rival Kremlin factions spilled into
the open, threatening to undermine political stability.
Veterans of the
secret services have come to dominate the government under Putin,
a 55-year-old former KGB officer. These powerful figures, known
as the "siloviki," have been given leading roles in
major businesses - including oil companies and aircraft and automobile
manufacturers - that Putin has brought back under state control.
They see Putin
as the key to preserving their positions and continued access
to financial flows. Some of them opposed Putin's choice of Dmitry
Medvedev, a 42-year-old lawyer, who was inaugurated as president
on Wednesday.
Putin may have
decided to stay around to keep the peace and protect his protege
until he consolidates his position.
Immensely popular
and at the height of his powers, Putin appears to want Russians
to see him as still in charge and to anticipate his return to
the presidency in 2012, which he has not ruled out.
In a fervent
45-minute speech Thursday before parliament, Putin laid out huge
ambitions for the economy and boasted that under his leadership
Russia "had not just changed but become a different country."
He was approved by a vote of 392-56, with only the Communists
opposing him.
Medvedev, by
contrast, was a lackluster supporting player, introducing Putin
in a bland five-minute address that underlined Putin's potency.
Putin left the
Kremlin on Wednesday, but just moved down the road to the building
known as the White House, the government headquarters near the
U.S. Embassy. In anticipation of his arrival, the prime minister's
fifth-floor office overlooking the Moscow River has been renovated
and its staff greatly expanded. Many of those who served him
as president have made the switch, and others are expected to
follow.
Putin will continue
to travel to work in a motorcade from the same wooded estate
in one of Moscow's most exclusive suburban neighborhoods where
he lived as president and which is now his to keep.
While quietly
laying the groundwork for expanding the scope of the prime minister's
office, Putin has firmed up his position by becoming chairman
of the Kremlin's dominant political party, which gives him control
over parliament and strong leverage over regional leaders.
Members of that
party still have Putin's portrait in their offices.
Putin has said
he feels no need to hang the portrait of Russia's new president
in his office in a traditional sign of respect. Other government
officials will hang a picture of Medvedev and have to decide
whether to take down Putin. Many are expected to hedge their
bets by displaying both.
Aluminum magnate
Oleg Deripaska, whom Forbes magazine calls Russia's richest man,
said recently that it is clear Putin remains in charge. "In
Russia, in our culture we need to have a leader," Deripaska
said at a lunch with foreign journalists.
With Putin in
control, Deripaska said there is no risk of political instability.
"There is no chance for any intrigue. Don't bet on it,"
he said.
Putin and Medvedev,
who have worked together since the early 1990s, stress their
friendship and full agreement on Russia's course.
But Putin seems
to be taking no chances that Medvedev will turn against him.
His party has a 70 percent majority, which gives it the power
to change the constitution, block legislation or impeach the
president.
As prime minister,
Putin will control the budget and oversee gigantic state corporations,
including Gazprom, the world's largest natural gas producer.
These corporations, staffed with Putin loyalists, have allowed
Russia to reassert its global might.
Both men have
said Medvedev will set foreign policy.
Boris Makarenko,
an analyst with the Center for Political Technologies, said there
will be no need to amend the constitution, which in spelling
out the powers of the president and prime minister leaves room
for interpretation. "The gray areas will be shared differently
than they are now," he was quoted in Vremya Novostei as
saying.
An early signal
of the level of Putin's influence will come when Russia forms
a new government. Most members of his team are expected to remain
in high posts.
Another important
sign will be the TV coverage of Putin and Medvedev on national
channels, which are all under Kremlin control and have served
as a political bellwether. Medvedev has been given lavish coverage,
but Putin remains the main hero of the evening news.
© Associated Press reserves
all rights.
|