RUSSIA: The new Russian Prime Minister, Mr Mikhail Fradkov, pledged to streamline government, slash bureaucracy and crack down on corruption yesterday, after parliament rubber-stamped his candidacy in line with the Kremlin's wishes.
President Vladimir Putin nominated the former EU envoy and chief of the tax police on Monday, after firing Mr Mikhail Kasyanov and his cabinet in a move that enlivened the build up to presidential elections tomorrow week that the incumbent is sure to win.
Parliament voted 352 to 58 in favour of Mr Fradkov, seen as a bureaucrat with little political vision or ambition, whom Mr Putin will use to push through much-needed but unpopular administrative reform and cutbacks to state spending.
"We will not have many ministries. They will get more power and responsibility. Bureaucracy - I mean bad bureaucracy - will be reduced to a minimum," Mr Fradkov said.
He told the strongly pro-Kremlin parliament that government must "reduce poverty, raise the level of welfare of citizens and enhance security".
The Soviet-era trade official said Russia's economy must be more competitive and pledged to "answer personally" for administrative reforms.
Mr Fradkov (53) is expected to reduce the number of ministries from the current 23, and tighten the chain of political command in what analysts call a move aimed at concentrating power in the hands of Mr Putin.
The former KGB spy faces no real challengers in the March 14th presidential poll, and many see Mr Fradkov as little more than a parliamentary puppet to carry out the Kremlin's will.
"Fradkov is absolutely not a politician in the traditional sense," said Mr Mark Urnov, chairman of the Expertise Foundation, a Moscow think-tank.
One of his main tasks will be to continue a crackdown on corruption in big business that has snared Russia's richest man, Mr Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and several other top officials at his Yukos oil firm.
They all deny charges of massive tax evasion and fraud, and say Kremlin critic Mr Khodorkovsky is the target of an attack by Mr Putin's old KGB colleagues, many of whom have risen to political prominence during his first four years in power.
Mr Putin's choice of prime minister was closely watched for signs of the security service veterans gaining clear ascendancy over the liberal, pro-business elite that was represented by Mr Kasyanov and dominated the Kremlin of Mr Putin's predecessor, Mr Boris Yeltsin.
Mr Fradkov was seen as a compromise figure.
Mr Fradkov said he would name his new cabinet "within days", but revealed he would have only one deputy prime minister - liberal economist Mr Alexander Zhukov.