Govt resigns after Putin calls for major shake-up
MOSCOW:RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin replaced his long-serving prime minister and called for sweeping constitutional changes, fuelling speculation that the country’s leader is moving to extend his grip on power beyond the end of his term in 2024.
The constitution now requires Putin to step down as president then but he could take on another post to ensure his continued influence. Putin hasn’t commented on his plans and his proposals didn’t include any overhauls that would have created a new post for him. But the shifts could reduce the sweeping powers currently held by the president, potentially reining in any successor while making other bodies more influential.
Putin gave little public explanation for the dramatic and unexpected upheaval, which saw Dmitry Medvedev, one of his most loyal lieutenants, ousted after nearly eight years in office.
Medvedev became PM in 2012 after stepping down as president to make way for Putin’s return to the Kremlin. He will take a new position as deputy chairman of the Security Council, reporting to Putin.
Putin later nominated Mikhail Mishustin, 53, a low-profile technocrat who heads the federal tax service, as his successor, the
Kremlin said.
The reshuffle shocked even some top officials, with the speaker of the lower house of parliament interrupting a meeting with legislative leaders to confirm the news, according to a person familiar with the session.
It came after Putin outlined a raft of proposed constitutional changes in his state-of-the-nation address on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening the roles of parliament and other government bodies.
The two men appeared on state television in a choreographed announcement to tell ministers of Medvedev’s departure and the resignation of the government.
The reforms set out by Putin will mean “fundamental changes” to the constitution “and the balance of power,” Medvedev said. “In these circumstances, I think it would be right for the government to resign,” he said.
Putin, 67, said the government hasn’t fulfilled all of its tasks, though “I want to express my satisfaction at what was achieved. Not everything was successful of course but it never totally is”.
For the moment, the government will remain in place while Putin decides on replacements. Mishustin’s nomination is subject to parliamentary confirmation, but that’s a formality as the ruling party has a majority.