Dismissal of government adds interest to elections

The dismissal of the government by Russian President Vladimir Putin, running for a second term, will make the upcoming elections more interesting and more substantive, Alexander Veshnyakov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia, told reporters today. He said Putin's decision was in accordance with the Russian Constitution and election laws. In his opinion, it is also in line with the "principles of democracy and openness". According to Veshnyakov, Putin will be able to decide on the appointment of the new Prime Minister and the formation of the Cabinet before presidential elections on March 14, 2004. In this way, Veshnyakov stressed, Putin gave an opportunity to voters to assess the team he would like to work with in the event of his re-election. The only weak point is that such openness "raises many questions", Veshnyakov believes. "The more open you are, the more questions arise," he noted.