Putin goes on holiday ahead of inauguration

Putin goes on holiday ahead of inauguration
DADAN UPADHYAY

MOSCOW, APRIL 30: President-elect Vladimir Putin left for the Black Sea resort of Sochi to spend his three days of holiday, ahead of his official inauguration on May 7. He is expected to return on Tuesday.

No foreign leaders will be invited for the ceremonial inauguration, Putin's foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko said, adding that only Moscow-based ambassadors will be invited to attend the inauguration.

Putin is expected to announce his choice for Prime Minister immediately after the inauguration. His Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozhak told mediapersons that the President might submit his nominee for the post of Prime Minister for parliamentary approval on May 10.

Under the Russian Constitution, the head of state must nominate the Prime Minister not later than two weeks after being sworn-in.

The President's nominee for the Prime Minister must necessarily be approved by the State Duma, the Lower House of parliament, within a week since the submission of nomination to Parliament.

If the Duma rejects the nominee, the President has the right to resubmit his name two more times or to look for a new candidate.

Media reports say First Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, a close ally of Putin, will be promoted to head the new government.

Indications are that Putin will find it easy to get his nominee approved by the Duma by virtue of Government majority in the Lower House.

Chief of the Government press service Andrei Korotkov told journalists that the new Government will be in place before the end of May.

According to political observers, no major changes are expected in the present Cabinet. All the powerful ministers, including Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev, are expected to be retained in the new Cabinet.