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Putin agrees to become Premier

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has agreed to become Prime Minister if his chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev wins presidential elections next March.

“If Russian citizens put their trust in Dmitry Medvedev and elect him President, I will be ready to continue our team work as Chairman of the Government,” Mr. Putin told a Congress of his United Russia party on Monday. Mr. Medvedev invited Mr. Putin to be Prime Minister in his future government last week.

United Russia nominated First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev as its candidate for President in the March 2 poll. Mr. Putin is to step down next year at the end of his second and last consecutive term allowed by the Russian Constitution.

Mr. Putin said Mr. Medvedev was his “close and trusted ally during more than 17 years” who had evolved “from a competent lawyer and expert to an excellent and strong-willed administrator.” He praised Mr. Medvedev as a man whose “main principles in life are the interests of the state and its citizens,” and who is worthy of taking “the key powers of the country, the destiny of Russia into his hands.”

In his brief address at the Congress Mr. Medvedev said if elected President he would be guided by Mr. Putin’s “strategic guidelines” for Russia.

Mr. Medvedev is practically assured of a landslide victory in next year’s presidential election as opinion polls show that 57 per cent of Russians are ready to vote for him.

Mr. Putin said he was ready to take the post of Prime Minister under President Medvedev because he felt “great responsibility” to the people who trust him and his promises.

“There are still many more unresolved problems than those that have been solved,” he said. “We all, myself included, must roll up sleeves and work hard.”

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