Former Russian Minister Sees No Reform Under PM Medvedev, Putin Holding Reins
Interfax - 5.24.12 - JRL 2012-96
Aleksey Kudrin, the former Russian finance minister, has said he does not expect fundamental modernizing reforms from Dmitriy Medvedev in his new job as prime minister. He also said he doubted that President Vladimir Putin would transfer serious powers to the new government, which would be a "technical" one. He called for the powers of the president and prime minister to be more clearly defined to make the government more independent.
file photo
On a personal political note, Kudrin said there were no plans to transform the non-party organization Committee for Civil Initiatives, which he founded, into a political party.
Kudrin was speaking at a news conference in Moscow on 24 May, as reported by Interfax news agency.
Medvedev not up to reform
On Medvedev's role as prime minister, Kudrin was reported as saying: "I don't expect him to switch to quality management or to prepare quality reforms"
Kudrin said that active steps by the prime minister in this area could change the nature of political power in Russia.
"The positions and powers of the prime minister are broad, and a lot depends on his position. Putin also listens to quality solutions put on his table," Kudrin said.
Putin holding reins of "technical government"
Kudrin said that he doubted Putin would transfer significant political powers to the government.
"This is a technical government," he said, "the centre of power moved together with Putin into the Kremlin. Putin, perhaps, would like the government to resolve difficult issues, but he is hardly likely to let go of the reins and transfer power based on the fact that he is used to running everything past himself. The centre is where Putin is."
Calls for president-PM division of powers
As for political reform, Kudrin said that the powers of the president and prime minister should be more clearly delimited.
"When I was finance minister," he said, "I proposed that Dmitriy Medvedev, when he was still president, introduce clear boundaries of power and responsibility for the president and the government. The government should have its hands untied to conduct relevant policy; there should be a certain independence."
He went on: "At the moment the president answers for everything; the powers and responsibilities both for the president and for the prime minister should be prescribed more clearly."
New party - "issue for the future"
On the Committee for Civil Initiatives, Kudrin said that the organization was "not a political organization" and he did not plan to set up a political party based on it.
"A (new political) party - that's an issue for the future," he was quoted as saying.
Though the decision has not yet been made to set up a party, it "should be a right-centrist or centrist party", RIA Novosti news agency reported him as saying.
Kudrin said that in Russia there was not yet a political force for whom he and his supporters could vote, but "it should appear", RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Keywords: Russia, Politics - Russian News - Russia
Aleksey Kudrin, the former Russian finance minister, has said he does not expect fundamental modernizing reforms from Dmitriy Medvedev in his new job as prime minister. He also said he doubted that President Vladimir Putin would transfer serious powers to the new government, which would be a "technical" one. He called for the powers of the president and prime minister to be more clearly defined to make the government more independent.
file photo
On a personal political note, Kudrin said there were no plans to transform the non-party organization Committee for Civil Initiatives, which he founded, into a political party.
Kudrin was speaking at a news conference in Moscow on 24 May, as reported by Interfax news agency.
Medvedev not up to reform
On Medvedev's role as prime minister, Kudrin was reported as saying: "I don't expect him to switch to quality management or to prepare quality reforms"
Kudrin said that active steps by the prime minister in this area could change the nature of political power in Russia.
"The positions and powers of the prime minister are broad, and a lot depends on his position. Putin also listens to quality solutions put on his table," Kudrin said.
Putin holding reins of "technical government"
Kudrin said that he doubted Putin would transfer significant political powers to the government.
"This is a technical government," he said, "the centre of power moved together with Putin into the Kremlin. Putin, perhaps, would like the government to resolve difficult issues, but he is hardly likely to let go of the reins and transfer power based on the fact that he is used to running everything past himself. The centre is where Putin is."
Calls for president-PM division of powers
As for political reform, Kudrin said that the powers of the president and prime minister should be more clearly delimited.
"When I was finance minister," he said, "I proposed that Dmitriy Medvedev, when he was still president, introduce clear boundaries of power and responsibility for the president and the government. The government should have its hands untied to conduct relevant policy; there should be a certain independence."
He went on: "At the moment the president answers for everything; the powers and responsibilities both for the president and for the prime minister should be prescribed more clearly."
New party - "issue for the future"
On the Committee for Civil Initiatives, Kudrin said that the organization was "not a political organization" and he did not plan to set up a political party based on it.
"A (new political) party - that's an issue for the future," he was quoted as saying.
Though the decision has not yet been made to set up a party, it "should be a right-centrist or centrist party", RIA Novosti news agency reported him as saying.
Kudrin said that in Russia there was not yet a political force for whom he and his supporters could vote, but "it should appear", RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.