CONTINUITY OF PUTIN'S
LEGACY
Medvedev's annual address also included proposals to
extend the terms of the president and parliament to six and five years
respectively, from their current four-year terms.
"We are not talking about a constitutional reform,
but about amendments to the constitution. Really important, but still specifying
amendments, which do not affect the political and legal essence of the existing
institutions," explained Medvedev.
Speaking to an audience of about 1,000 lawmakers and
government officials, Medvedev said the extension was necessary to enable the
government to implement reforms more effectively.
To counterbalance an extension of the presidential
term, Medvedev also proposed expanding the constitutional rights of the Federal
Assembly, saying that control functions over the executive bodies should be
given to the State Duma.
"A constitutional norm should be established, which
would make it incumbent upon the government to report annually to the State Duma
on the results of its work and on questions raised by the parliament," he said.
The proposals are certain to be approved by the
legislators, because the Kremlin-friendly United Russia party, headed by Prime
Minister Putin, holds two-thirds of the seats in the State Duma, analysts said.
With a longer presidential term, "pre-election
squabbles will happen less frequently," Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told
reporters after Medvedev's speech.
It would be a "good period for any president to prove
himself both in the economic and political fields," he added.
It remains unclear whether Putin will return to power
as president in future. But even if he does not, there seems to be no other
choice for Medvedev's successor than continue to follow Putin's policies,
analysts said.
Medvedev pledges to deploy missiles in
Kaliningrad to counter U.S. threat
MOSCOW, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev on Wednesday made his first state-of-the-nation address since he took
office in May, pledging to reform the international political and economic
system and deploy a short-range missile system in its Baltic Sea territory in
response to U.S. missile defense plans. Full story
U.S.: Russia's relocation of missile
"disappointing"
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United
States reiterated on Wednesday that its decision to deploy anti-missile system
in Poland and the Czech Republic is not a threat to Russia after Moscow decided
to deploy a short-range missile system in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad
bordering Poland and Lithuania.
"The missile defense sites in the Czech Republic and
Poland are not aimed at Russia," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told
reporters. Full story
Polish PM: Russian president's
decision on missiles political move
WARSAW, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev's decision on deploying missiles in the Kaliningrad district is a
political, not a military act, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on
Wednesday.
"I would not attach too much weigh to this type of
declarations," Polish news agency PAP quoted the prime minister as
saying. Full story
Prague: Medvedev's words on missiles
in Kaliningrad unfortunate
PRAGUE, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Czech Foreign Minister Karel
Schwarzenberg said on Wednesday that the words by Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev that Russia would install missiles in the Kaliningrad area in response
to U.S. missile defense shield are unfortunate.
Such words are counter-productive from Russia's
viewpoint, Schwarzenberg told journalists. Full
story
