Who does expose Kasyanov?

Mikhail Kasyanov does not want to be President of Russia

Stable Prime Minister in the “stable” country, political long-liver (Kasyanov occupies this post since 2000), member of the “family” – that are some of definitions belonging to Mikhail Kasyanov. Since he became Prime Minister, political rumour has at least four times reported about his resignation. Though, the President does not hasten to displace him. Somebody even sees in Kasyanov Putin’s main rival in the 2004 presidential election. The Kasyanov position is said to have become so stable that he himself is sure of the Prime Minister post being to little for him.

Kasyanov as an experienced apparatchik has never taken hasty decisions. He usually invites his own people in his office and proposes them to consider possible variants. He can avoid responsibility, making responsible some other members of the government. This was for example with the President order to increase tempos of economical growth: German Gref, minister of economical development, turned out to be responsible. In state budget stories, that are usually Gref and Kudrin (first vice Prime Minister, finance minister), who are guilty. Mr Kasyanov is a good public speaker, and in some ticklish situations he usually uses his charming smile and obscures the issue.

Once, a Duma member told how the Prime Minister produced economical growth forecast. Where to take money from? Deputies waited for the answer of the Prime Minister. Mikhail Kasyanov spoke with confidence, spouting figures. Deputies even applauded, though, they understood nothing and decided to read the shorthand report of the Prime Minister speech. And it turned out that he wanted to take money from the most lobbied by State Duma articles of the budget, for which proper people already received their fee.

The Prime Minister successfully rules economy, and his long political life one more time witnesses it. Though, let us return to the presidential aspirations of Mikhail Kasyanov. He would not openly go against Putin, whose rating is really high after the Nord-Ost story. The Prime Minister ignores all rumours about his possible participation in the 2004 election. It is probably because the rumours are being produced according to his own instruction, while probably vice versa: these rumours are being spread by his evil-wishers from St Petersburg team who want to knock the Prime Minister and the President together.

Apropos, today Russian media again returned to this subject. Reports about some Nizhny Novgorod group which intends to propose Mikhail Kasyanov as candidate for President is considered to be either misinformation, or provocation to discredit the head of the government. This was said Tuesday to RIA ‘Novosty’ by the government staff deputy chairman Alexei Volin. He remembered that in 1996, not long before the Alexandr Lebed displacement from the post of Russian Security Council chairman, a movement was reported to be created Lebed – our President. According to Volin, Lebed was then displaced, while no signs of the movement were found.

So, today’s action organizers seem to use old recipes, Volin stressed. Some Internet mass media reported Tuesday, referring to sources in Nizhny Novgorod, about some regional conference of an initiative group intending to create Russian Committee to propose Mikhail Kasyanov as candidate for Russian President. According to the conference organizers, the Kasyanov candidacy is supported by more than 1.1 thousand citizens in 57 regions of Russia. Is it true?

Dmitry Litvinovich
PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva