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Main page > Products > Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts - The weekly bulletin > Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (54-56) 742-744
Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (54-56) 742-744
December 29, 2008 - January 18, 2009
Main tendencies of political week
Despite the growing role of mass politics amid the crisis, staff struggle has remained quite active and intensive. It is additionally influenced by the necessity to fight the crisis; this is it should be taken it into account when analyzing staff reshuffle and structural changes. In particular, a decree signed by Vladimir Putin shortly before the New Year stipulates simplification of procedure of agreeing documents worked out by the government as well as actual introduction of the principle of personal responsibility for failing to live up to terms of their development. However, this measure may substantially increase conflict potential on the level of deputy PMs.
Another vector of staff changes aimed at fighting the consequences of the crisis affects law enforcement agencies. Firstly, the president initiated amendments to the civil procedure code broadening authority of the Prosecutor General’s Office in social and economic disputes. On one side, this may minimize losses of citizens in disputes with employers; on the other side, this may partially offset losses of the Prosecutor General’s Office following reforms in the entity. Another direction of modernization of the law enforcement system is fine-tuning of power bodies. In particular, overtures made by authorities (firstly, by Dmitry Medvedev) to interior ministry officers are becoming more visible. It is quite possible that instead of the defense ministry, which was in the focus of attention following the five-day war, the head of state will shift his sympathy towards the police body.
Major events December 29, 2008 - January 18, 2009
| Event | Winning side | Defeated side | Development Outlooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dmitry Medvedev says he has proposed amendments to the Civil Procedure Code broadening possibilities of the Prosecutor General’s Office in civil process | Yury Chaika |
| This authority will not become serious compensation for the loss of investigatory functions |
| Changes in the procedure of agreeing regulatory legal acts worked out by government bodies |
|
| This will result in emergence of additional conflict field between deputy PMs |
| Gov’t decides to establish a national company for developing the grain market | Viktor Zubkov, Alexey Gordeyev |
| Deputy PM and agriculture minister will agree on parity control over the company |
| Dmitry Medvedev’s decree on establishing the federal service for regulating the alcohol market |
|
| It is quite possible that agriculture ministry and federal tax service will try to gain control over the new entity |
| Boris Kovalchuk retires as director of national projects department of the government staff |
|
| The department is likely to be disbanded or enlarged |
| Vladimir Shamakhov retires as deputy chief of the government staff | Andrey Belyaninov |
| It will be easier for Belyaninov to lobby interests of his entity at the government staff level |
| Teimuraz Bolloyev and Anatoly Grebenyuk are appointed deputy heads of Olympstroy state corporation | Dmitry Kozak | Viktor Kolodyazhny | Teimuraz Bolloyev will become an éminence grise in Olympstroy |
| Andrey Kazmin retires as head of Russian Post |
| Andrey Kazmin, Alla Aleshkina
| It is quite possible that law enforcement agencies will try to find out reasons of sharp deterioration of Svyaz Bank’s financial standing |
| Oleg Mitvol is elected head of Green Alternative public movement | Oleg Mitvol | Vladimir Kirillov | Mitvol will try to oppose the new organization to the Public Council of Rosprirodnadzor |
| Alexander Fedorov is appointed deputy justice minister | Viktor Cherkesov |
| The new deputy minister will be mediator in alliance between Viktor Cherkesov and Alexander Konovalov |
| Staff reshuffle in the Russian emergencies ministry |
|
| This reshuffle is technical and it will not affect Sergey Shoigu’s control over the ministry |
| Vladimir Tokarev is appointed deputy minister of regional development |
|
| This post is temporary for Tokarev; he may join organizations belonging to Gennady Timchenko or Bank Rossiya |
Volume: 14 pages
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