September 12, 2007

Putin's Pick Sparks Guessing Game

Russia analysts are scratching their heads over President Vladimir Putin's unexpected appointment of Viktor Zubkov as prime minister. The office of the prime minister may as well be symbolic for what little power it holds, yet Zubkov is a close friend of Putin's.

There's speculation that Zubkov's elevation from head of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, which eyes money-laundering in the banking system, signals he is viewed as a possible successor. But that's an odd choice for Putin, as Zubkov is not very well-known and has no ties to the KGB (from which Putin hails) or other security-related services.

Putin named Zubkov as his pick almost immediately after the current PM, Mikhail Fradkov, resigned, thus triggering dissolution of the government. "Fradkov said he was resigning to give Mr Putin 'full freedom of decision including staff decisions'; most observers reckon that the president had that already," the Economist notes.

Putin, who is stepping down next March, is expected to announce his choice of a successor in December. The two first deputy prime ministers, Sergei Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev, are believed to be the front-runners. It's possible Putin purposely avoided picking either Ivanov or Medvedev so that conclusions wouldn't be reached about his favorite candidates.

Putin remains wildly popular in Russia as Western criticism of his autocratic governing style ratchets up. Though they ultimately remain allies, Moscow and Washington have experienced an estrangement in recent years. AP and the Financial Times have more on Russia's transition.

Posted at 10:42 AM
Posted to: Russia, Vladimir Putin
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