Putin to Become PM Once Again
Putin’s decree on creation of President’s Council that will supervise the progress in prior national projects will be promulgated in the near term. Putin himself plans to chair the Council that will actually act as a parallel government in Russia. A new Council will budget both overall and itemized expenditures for public health, education, housing and agricultural projects of top priority to be implemented from 2006 to 2008. In addition, it will supervise the spending, eye progress in business talks with suppliers and control efficiency of project work, actually performing the duties of Cabinet in Russia. In view that Vladimir Putin intends to head the new body himself, the following conclusion could be easily reached – the president attempts to undertake a certain portion of PM’s duties. In other words, two years before the parliament’s elections, the material transfer of power from prime minister to the president is well underway.

True, the budget of the President’s Council won’t match the one of the government. Fradkov’s ministers will spend around 4.1 trillion rubles in 2006, while the amount allocated for the purposes of public health, education, housing and for the state-support of agriculture will hardly surpass 150 billion rubles. Here the precedent matters – the president who, by the way, has some experience of a prime minister, will directly dispose of a portion of budget funds. Apparently, the president’s staff counts on exactly that money to attain the global election aim. By mid.-2007, Kremlin wants to be able to cure, educate and provide housing much better than now, so that the electorate would have no doubts for whom to vote in 2007 and 2008.