Putin sacks entire cabinet....just breaking on CNNI

[maddezmom]

here's a link: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=4&u=/nm/20040224/ts_nm/russia_government_dc

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) announced Tuesday that the government of Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov had resigned.

"In accordance with article 117 of the Russian Constitution, I have decided today that the government is to resign," Putin said in a live television broadcast.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

1. lol; you just beat me

ticker's are reporting it but I can't find any stories yet.

[Poiuyt]

2. What's going on in Russia?

Does anyone else have the feeling that they are going back to the old Soviet style of government?

[tom_paine]

24. Sure they are and why not? It's what the Busheviks are doing to Amerika

I KNEW the Bloodless Coup of 200 would have a "domino effect".

All over the world, secret policemen and warlords are saying "Did we really disband our secret police because the Amerikans didn;t like it? Well, look at them now."

What Putin has done in Russia is merely followed the Bushevik Playbook to a tee. he is only further along because Russia has no 225-year tradition of liberty, outspokenness, and (formerly) Free Election.

I would say the Russians under Putin are about as far along with their New Totalitarianism, cutely called "Managed Democracy", as Imperial Amerika will be in 2015 if these shadows remain unaltered by the future.

[xultar]

3. Must be a Vodka shortage. Hey how can you just sack your entire

cabinet. What do they do that like every year. Man too bad we can't do that here. Although I believe Putin in the one in need of mental health and he is firing those who have mental health.

Discuss....

[DemonFighterLives]

5. Yeah thats what we need

Georgie to sack his stupid cabinet and then the voters to sack him.
Sorry, I needed to say that. Good day!

[InkAddict]

4. This will give Condi something to talk about...

Awwwwoooo....my ears!

[salin]

18. she has new concerns... staging the neo con dreams

of ever destabilizing war... and trumping up the threat of each next conquest... seems that her old cold-warrior days are long past... especially since jr is so enthralled with Putin.

[tom_paine]

25. Well, Bunnypants* and Putin are indeed "soulmates".

BOTH have taken steps to end liberty and the Free Press and Free Elections in their nation.

BOTH are corrupt Cronyists.

BOTH care nbothing about the common people.

BOTH put on a tightly controlled Pravda.

Monsters of a feather...

[rodbarnett]

6. No wonder that Putin has been dusting off the Nukes and rattling his saber

I have decided today that the government is to resign

[maddezmom]

7. better link: "Putin's "non-campaign" gets full cover"

Putin's "non-campaign" gets full cover
Mon 23 February, 2004 09:22

By Ron Popeski

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian leader Vladimir Putin, way ahead of rivals in next month's presidential election, says he will be taking no part in campaigning for a second term. But you would not know it from the media coverage he is enjoying.

As the build-up gains pace for the March 14 poll, Kremlin-controlled TV channels report Putin's every move.

Few news broadcasts begin without the image of the former Soviet intelligence agent peering earnestly from the screen as he delivers, in his trademark monotone, the homily of the day.

Last week he appeared in seamen's garb on a submarine, then in fatigues at military manoeuvres. Later, he implored veterans of the 1980s Afghan campaign to be proud of the past and he ended the week presiding over key ministers in the Kremlin.

~snip~
more:http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=462621§ion=news

OMG~ Putin is doing his own version of the flightsuit!!

[Loonman]

8. Holy Crow

Those botched nuke exercises must have made him mad.

[rodbarnett]

9. More Complete Information : Another Link Here

Putin Fires Russian Prime Minister and Cabinet in Pre-Election Purge

MOSCOW (AP) - In a bold step that removed a last major holdover from the days of Boris Yeltsin, President Vladimir Putin dismissed his prime minister and all other Cabinet ministers Tuesday, saying he reshuffled the government in preparation for next month's presidential vote.
With virtually no political opposition before the March 14 balloting, Putin was widely expected win a second term, and his comments Tuesday showed his confidence.

"This decision bears no relation to any assessment of the performance of the former composition of the government," Putin said. "It was dictated by my desire to once again delineate my position on the issue of what development course the country will take after March 14, 2004."

The prime minister in Russia is largely responsible for the day-to-day running of the economy, and has little political power.

Speculation had percolated that Kasyanov was on the way out since late last year, when he criticized a government probe into the Yukos oil giant, including the jailing of its head Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Kasyanov had said the investigation, believed to have been spearheaded by the Kremlin, set a bad precedent for the country's economy.

Kasyanov had been prime minister since Putin was elected in 2000 and was the last major government holdover from Boris Yeltsin's years as president.

The dismissal of the prime minister also means the dismissal of the rest of the government ministers, though any of them potentially could be reappointed.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAFSRB22RD.html

[Moderator]

21. rodbarnett

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.

Thank you.


DU Moderator

[emad]

10. Here's the BBC's coverage of story:

Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 February, 2004, 14:49 GMT

Putin dismisses entire government

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed his government in a live television broadcast. The surprise move comes weeks before a presidential election which Mr Putin is expected to win by a landslide. Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko has been named as temporary replacement for Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. Mr Kasyanov was known to be unpopular with Mr Putin, but his future had been expected to be secure until after the 14 March election.
He was among the Kremlin's few survivors from the camp of Mr Putin's predecessor, Boris Yeltsin. Most liberal Yeltsin-era figures had already been driven out by Mr Putin's new breed of appointees.

He also had links with the oligarchs - the super-rich businessmen who made their fortunes during Mr Yeltin's post-communist privatisation era but have fallen out of favour since Mr Putin's election. The announcement on state-run television was trailed simply as a statement. Mr Putin said the decision did not reflect on the government's performance, which was satisfactory "on the whole". "This is linked to my wish to set out my position on what the country's course will be after 14 March 2004," he said. Mr Putin said he had the power to ask for the government's resignation under article 117 of the Russian constitution.

Analysts said Mr Putin's main target had almost certainly been Mr Kasyanov, but under the constitution he was unable to remove him without firing the entire cabinet. "Putin just simply can't stand Kasyanov," said Igor Bunin of Russia's Centre for Political Technologies. "There has been a lot of disagreement over economic policy, like issues related to taxes, mortgage schemes and so on." Voters are likely to respond positively to the signal that Mr Putin is cutting Russia's last tie with the Yeltsin years, he added. "If his rating stands at 80% now, it will jump to 85% after this announcement," he said. Most analysts, however, had expected Mr Putin to act against Mr Kasyanov only after the election.

from:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3517331.stm

[Loonman]

11. Cold War 2 - Electric Boogaloo?

Maybe?

[Dover]

12. Putin's Statement and other related news

Here is the full text of Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement released by the Russian presidential press service.

"Dear Russian citizens. In accordance with Article 117 of the Russian Constitution I have decided to dismiss the government. This decision is not connected to the evaluation of the results of performance of the former government, which I consider satisfactory on the whole. It is linked to my wish to set out my position regarding the country's course of development after March 14, 2004. I believe that Russian citizens have the right and should know proposals on the composition of the highest executive agency in the event I am elected to the position of President of Russia. Promotion of all state, social and economic reforms depends on the government to a considerable degree. That is why I consider it right to declare the composition of the highest executive agency, which shall bear its share of responsibility for our country's further development, right now, not waiting for the end of the election campaign. A timely formation of the government will allow for the avoidance of uncertainty in federal executive agencies and, as a result, maintain the efficiency of state agencies and keep up the pace of reforms, including within the framework of the already launched administrative reforms. In accordance with Article 111 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation I am going to propose the candidacy of the head of the Russian government to the State Duma within the stipulated period of time. The head of the government shall submit proposals on a new structure of federal agencies of the executive branch to me within a one-week period after the appointment. Simultaneously I have commissioned the acting government to continue implementing its functions until the new government of the Russian federation is formed."

Related News - http://www.moscowtimes.ru/doc/HotNews.html#52611

[pink_poodle]

13. Wow, is he suffering a meltdown from the pressure................

or is he a little Caesar? What gives?????

[0007]

14. junior looked into his pretty blue eyes and saw a soul..

.. a good man"

[aquart]

15. Decided he can do it all himself?

Woke up and wanted a putsch?

[Devils Advocate NZ]

16. I can't get over how many people assume Purin is doing the wrong thing

First of all he has done this BEFORE the election, which gives the PEOPLE the ability to see what Putin wants to do and then VOTE on whether they want to let him do it.

When a US President is voted in, he does the same thing (firing the previous Presidents appointments) but I have never heard of his choices for those positions being advertised BEFORE the election.

Which is MORE democratic? Knowing who the President is going to appoint and being able to vote on that knowledge, or having to guess on who he might appoint and having to vote without knowing?

Second, as is made clear in the articles posted, it seems that this measure was the only way to CONSTITUTIONALLY remove a holdover from the years where Russia was RAPED by the corporations!

Yet this is supposedly a bad thing? Do you people even remember what these Yeltsin gangsters did to Russia?

[gauguin57]

17. old-style soviet politics is right

You can take the man out of the KGB, but you can't take the KGB out of the man.

It's deja vu all over again in Russia.

And this is one more thing we DON'T need going on in the world right now ... especially with our own, clueless little caesar in the White House.

:scared: :scared: :scared:

[0007]

20. Never thought of it that way -- So perhaps this is good way to slect

..a president.

[Dover]

22. It's complex. We have similar battles between gov and corporate control

right here in the U.S. and in other countries as well.

Russia is stuck between old style communism and the growing threats to sovereignty, resources, social identity, wealth, etc. that accompany privatization and corporatization under the guise of "free market" enterprise. Both seem to be a poor solution.

In fact the U.S. is stuck between populist, nationalist, corporatist and other ideological choices and economic structures that also don't offer up wholly constructive solutions to the problems that ail us and the world. We've got too many people trying to take advantage of this flux and power vacuum rather than trying to truly create sustainable individual and global systems that allow for healthy functioning and protections. So it's not just Russia.....

Putin is trying to protect himself from undue influence by powerful American corporate interests that, if given a foothold, will essentially take control of that country (as is happening here in the U.S.). On the otherhand, Putin's long term solutions for how to become a global partner are not clear. Surely he knows he can't go back to Communism.

[pink_poodle]

26. I personally think that Putin is a brilliant man and politician..........

and that he is doing something that will probably have some good in the long run. The people there love him! So if that is what they want, then that is how it should be and screw what the Bushco think of him.

[iam]

19. Putin's

responding to dumbyas* attempt at empire. The Russians won't allow it. Dumbya has plunged the world back into a cold war.

[renegade000]

23. wish it was that easy here...

;)