Civilians appointed Defence, Interior Ministers

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, MARCH 28. Russia's President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, has made first sweeping changes in the Cabinet since becoming President a year ago, replacing the Defence, Interior and Atomic Power Ministers.

The Russian leader on Wednesday appointed his right-hand man, the Security Council Secretary, Mr. Sergei Ivanov, as new Defence Minister in place of Marshal Igor Sergeyev, who had crossed the retirement age of 60 two years ago. Marshal Sergeyev has been appointed Mr. Putin's aide for strategic stability problems.

The new appointments are an indication of the importance Mr. Putin attaches to the long-overdue reform of the armed forces, which appears especially urgent in the light of growing tensions in Russia's relations with the United States. In another sensational appointment, Ms. Lyubov Kudelina, Deputy Finance Minister, has been made Deputy Defence Minister, the first woman to hold the post in Russia's history.

Mr. Putin said it was a logical move to appoint Mr. Ivanov to the Defence Ministry as he had headed a Kremlin commission for the military reform for the past 18 months. However, the new post is a major demotion for Mr. Ivanov, who came to be seen as number 2 man in the Russian hierarchy after the President.

Mr. Putin has also replaced General Vladimir Rushailo as Interior Minister and Mr. Yevgeny Adamov as Atomic Power Minister. Both were largely regarded as belonging to the old clan of the former President, Mr. Boris Yeltsin. General Rushailo has been appointed Security Council Secretary, suggesting that this body will lose its importance as the Kremlin's thinktank it was under Mr. Sergei Ivanov. For the first time in Russia's history, the two key Ministries - Defence and Interior - will be headed by civilians. Mr. Boris Gryzlov, leader of the pro-Kremlin Edinstvo (Unity) Party in Parliament, has been appointed Interior Minister, while the new Defence Minister, Mr. Ivanov, last year gave up his military rank of general he had earned in the KGB.

Mr. Putin was quoted as saying the new appointments were a step towards demilitarisation of public life in Russia. He appointed Mr. Sergei Rumyantsev, director of the famous Kurchatov Institute of Nuclear Research, as the new Minister for Atomic Power. His predecessor, Mr. Adamov, was recently accused by a parliamentary commission of massive corruption.

Mr. Putin also appointed Mr. Mikhail Fradkov as the new head of the tax police, replacing Mr. Vyacheslav Soltaganov, who moves to the Security Council to oversee the anti-corruption drive.

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Section  : International
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