TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Medvedev Sworn In As Russian President

ADVERTISEMENT

Los Angeles Times

Published: May 8, 2008

MOSCOW - Dmitry Medvedev, a corporate lawyer tapped and groomed for the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin, was sworn in as president Wednesday under the watchful gaze of his mentor and predecessor.

As soon as the ceremony was over, just as they had planned for months, Medvedev nominated Putin for prime minister.

With the two men apparently poised to rule in tandem, Russians were left waiting with a mix of anxiety and curiosity for hints of who is really in charge: 42-year-old Medvedev, who holds the highest job in the land, or Putin, the former KGB officer and wily politician who seems determined to keep a grip on power.

"Now it is extremely important that we together continue the course of the country, which has already justified itself," Putin told 2,000 dignitaries, referring to his years in office as a "breakthrough to new life" for Russia.

He also hinted that he regards his policies and plans as shaping Russia for decades to come, saying, "We are already formulating goals not for one or two months, but for 20 and 30 years ahead."

A sober-faced Medvedev, speaking after his longtime boss, talked of the need for rule of law, decrying the corruption that has plagued Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union - and continued to rage throughout Putin's eight-year presidency.

"We ought to achieve a genuine respect for law, to overcome the legal nihilism which seriously hampers modern development," Medvedev said.

In recent months, Medvedev has been a steady presence at Putin's side, following his fellow St. Petersburg native during state visits and key meetings. In one public appearance after another, both men hammered the theme of continuity, indicating that Medvedev would pick up where Putin left off. That message continued Wednesday.

Medvedev sent a letter to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, nominating Putin as prime minister. The parliament is scheduled to debate Putin's nomination today, but the discussion is a formality. Putin has nearly finished choosing the members of the new government, the Interfax news agency reported.

Nobody can say for sure whether this new president is simply a fresh face to front the same ruling constellation of Putin and the power-brokers who shored him up, or whether Medvedev might come into his own as a Russian leader.

"I don't even think they themselves understand how this will work," said Lilia Shevtsova, a senior associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center. "It's quite an unusual scenario."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT