#13
strana.ru
October 19, 2001
Vladimir Putin Is Forming a Liberal Cabinet
A full-scale government reform has been launched
By Yulia Panfilova
The structural changes in the Russian Cabinet, which President Vladimir Putin announced on October 16, mark the beginning of a major government reform. The authorities have been discussing it for nearly a year. The Russian government is supposed to become a classical liberal cabinet focused on security and defense issues, Strana.Ru sources say.
The framework for a new type of government has been laid down: two civilian ministries have assumed military functions. The Russian Interior Ministry has taken control of most issues that used to be within the competence of the disbanded Ministry for the Affairs of the Federation, Nationalities and Migration Policy. "Military" Vice-Premier Ilya Klebanov has been appointed to head the Ministry of Industry and Science.
Due attention should be paid to the growing trend towards the militarization of the government. In fact, the Russian economy has started a transition back along military rails. The latest cabinet reshuffle has been prompted by an external military situation, a global anti-terrorism operation in particular. With military hostilities being so close to Russian borders, a refugee influx will be inevitable. It is absolutely clear that the Interior Ministry is in a better position to cope with these new tasks than any civilian ministry.
Former Minister of Industry and Science Dondukov was expected to resign long ago. Therefore, his replacement by Vice-Premier Ilya Klebanov did not come as a great surprise. Dondukov had been openly disliked in the government and in the Kremlin. Strana.Ru sources in government say that Dondukov was unwilling to handle the affairs of his own ministry and ignored his direct responsibilities.
The current situation calls for urgent actions: Russia cannot miss the chance to exploit a revival on international arms markets to enliven its own economy. In this connection, placing the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology under Klebanov's supervision looks absolutely logical. Moreover, Klebanov deserved the expansion of personal powers for successfully completing an operation to lift the nuclear submarine Kursk from the Barents Sea bed.
Thus, Vladimir Putin is obviously trying to reshape a Soviet-style government, which oversaw the entire economic sector and nationalities policy into a new type of liberal cabinet dealing with security and defense issues. Such governments are more preoccupied with the military sector and military orders even under normal circumstances, let alone in the current situation.
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