Russian parliament approves president-nominated Zubkov as PM
Russia's lower house of parliament approved Friday financial watchdog chief Viktor Zubkov as prime minister, two days after he was nominated by the president, RIA Novosti reports.
In the State Duma vote, 381 lawmakers backed Zubkov, 47 voted against, and eight MPs abstained. The candidate needed 200 votes to be elected to the post. He will formally assume office after President Vladimir Putin signs a decree.
Putin dismissed the government and nominated the relatively un-known Zubkov, 65, for the post of premier on Wednesday, three months before parliamentary elections and six months before presidential polls, in a move experts say is designed to ensure the succession of power after the incumbent president steps down.
The prime minister-designate is now expected to present his proposals on changing the structure of federal bodies, and to nominate new ministers and deputy premiers within a week.
He won an easy majority in the chamber dominated by the Kremlin-backed United Russia party, which had promised overwhelming support ahead of the vote, along with A Just Russia and the Liberal Democrats, led by ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov refused to back Putin's nominee, saying he would pursue Kremlin policies and would be unable to make any changes. He earlier said the vote "looks more like a commando operation than a democratic vote."
A Homeland-Patriots of Russia faction member announced the bloc would abstain from the vote, saying it had nothing personally against the candidate, but that his actual political position was entirely unknown.
Speaking to lawmakers before today's vote, Zubkov pledged his commitment to policies pursued by President Putin, and called for changes to the government's structure, and greater individual responsibility.
"The priorities for my job will be the strategic guidelines and action plan outlined in the president's address to parliament - sustainable economic and social development by streamlining government activities and raising officials' personal responsibility," he said.
Zubkov also highlighted the development of the defense sector as another "strategic objective" for a new government, pledging to ensure proper control over federal funds allocated for the purpose. "A further strategic objective is the revival of our defense sector," Zubkov said.
He suggested that an anti-corruption law should be adopted and a corresponding body established, confirmed plans to reshuffle the government's much-criticized welfare sector, and voiced his opposition to media censorship.
"What could ruin Russia is non-professionalism and corruption, which penetrates our society," Zubkov told the State Duma.
