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Kasyanov warns of crisis if Russia's governance system is not reformed

MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - Russia will face a serious crisis if its governance system is not modified, said former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who now leads the Russian People's Democratic Union.

"True, this will happen not tomorrow and not in a year, but a crisis is bound to happen in three or four years. This country will simply be unable to endure until 2012, when new presidential elections are to be held," Kasyanov said at a People's Democratic Union congress in Moscow on Saturday, at which the union nominated him as a presidential candidate.

Presenting his program, Kasyanov only outlined problems that need to be resolved, without elaborating on how this should be done.

In particular, Kasyanov said that, if he becomes president, his team "will return free education and free medical services to the people; a quarter of the population will be provided with new housing, and another quarter will have their housing comprehensively renovated."

"We will finally put an end to slavery in the army and will abolish the draft," Kasyanov said, to which the audience replied with applause.

The delegates also greeted Kasyanov's promise to reform Gazprom by separating its gas transportation assets and selling all of its non-core assets.

At the same time, the former premier said all these goals can be attained only if Russia's governance system is changed. "First and foremost, we must build a true system of separation of powers in a very brief time," Kasyanov said. "The way toward prosperity lies through freedom," he said.