| Why Putin fired Ustinov The Vremya Novostei newspaper decided to find out from politicians and political scientists why Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov was dismissed and what this will lead to.
“This resignation will have a certain impact on the work of the Russian prosecutor’s office” Vladimir PLIGIN, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, deputy of the United Russia faction:
-- Russian statehood is going through a stage of new formation, and the functioning of its systems is often tied to the individual more than in other countries, so personnel decisions are extremely important. The decision that the Prosecutor General of Russia Vladimir Vasilyevich Ustinov made for himself will undoubtedly have a certain impact on the work of the Russian prosecutor's office.
It is important that this exceptionally significant law enforcement structure continues to carry out in a stable manner the functions that are assigned to it within the framework of criminal law policy. In particular, in the field of combating corruption. It is also very important that these functions are carried out not through some kind of extraordinary “campaigns”, but - we can currently afford this - be an element of the everyday work that any law enforcement machine is called upon to do.
Vladimir Vasilyevich Ustinov is an extraordinary personality. I would like to wish him success in new areas of work.
"The new Prosecutor General will have a platform for claims to the position of successor"
Ivan MELNIKOV, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, State Duma deputy:
— I see several reasons for the resignation of Vladimir Ustinov. Firstly, I see behind this a reflection of the struggle of various influence groups inside the Kremlin. And Ustinov’s withdrawal from the system of political influence strengthens the positions of some and weakens the positions of other senior officials who express different approaches on the topic of a successor. Secondly, perhaps Ustinov received a new “order” for “werewolves”. And the former attorney general simply got stuck in a shadow interdepartmental war over the right choice on the issue of “sacrifice.” Finally, not everything is working out for the authorities with the theme of the “threat of fascism”, which is being developed for the upcoming election campaign. It is not so easy to find fascism in our country, which is unusual for Russia. It’s not so easy to lump together your opponents, the opposition, with the fascists. In this regard, I think that the topic of “actively fighting corruption” is being prepared as one of the main ones for the new election cycle. And the Prosecutor General’s Office will become a serious player in the field of public policy. In this regard, I also view Ustinov’s departure as freeing up a good place for the public work of some new person who will more skillfully put the Prosecutor General’s Office at the service of PR tasks. And its leader will have a platform to claim the position of successor.
"Reshuffles occur in connection with certain interests - electoral, personnel, financial, family"
Sergei IVANENKO, first deputy chairman of the Yabloko party:
— It is very difficult to say what led to Ustinov’s resignation. Only one person knows the answer to this question - President Putin. There was some kind of internal struggle, and the resignation of the Prosecutor General was the result of a showdown within the ruling class. No clear reasons were given for the resignation. In civil society, the resignation of such figures must be accompanied by an explanation of the reasons why this happened. In approximately the same manner - in the manner of speculation and rumors - there is now a discussion of candidates for this post. From my point of view, the discussion should be public and open, since the activities of the Prosecutor General in our country concern literally every person. But the condemnation occurs in a Byzantine manner, and this suggests that the system is not changing. Reshuffles occur in connection with certain interests - electoral, personnel, financial, family.
"The Prosecutor General has turned into one of the main roofs that covers up corruption in Russia"
Victor ALKSNIS, deputy of the Rodina faction (People's Will - SEPR) in the State Duma:
— Ustinov’s resignation was very unexpected. You can build different hypotheses, but it takes time to figure out what happened. I have read comments on this matter - they are the most contradictory. Some say that Ustinov will be promoted, others say that he has already finished his political career. I can only say from my parliamentary experience that the Prosecutor General’s Office today has turned into one of the main roofs that covers up corruption in Russia. It is completely useless to write any requests to the Prosecutor General's Office. Apparently there is a list of people who can be “surrendered” and those who cannot be touched. We will not be destroyed by some “orange revolution” or international terrorists, but by corruption from within. Therefore, if Putin really decided to fight corruption, I will only welcome it. If Ustinov’s resignation is simply a replacement of one thing for another and nothing, in fact, changes, then it will be bad for all of us.
"The entire power bloc will be controlled by Medvedev"
Alexey MITROFANOV, deputy of the LDPR faction in the State Duma:
- There is only one reason - preparation for the 2008 elections. It seems to me that a person close to Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev will take over the post of Prosecutor General. Apparently, it will be Alexander Konovalov or someone else who will team up with Medvedev. Anton Ivanov, who is close to Medvedev, has already become the Chairman of the Supreme Arbitration Court - and this is a very important figure; now it’s the turn of the Prosecutor General. Thus, the entire power bloc will be controlled by Medvedev. Preparations are underway for his nomination in the presidential elections as the leader of United Russia. In fact, there will be three candidates - from United Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The fourth will be someone independent. I think that now there is an accumulation of bureaucratic power and command leverage so that a significant candidate can come forward from United Russia.
“I don’t foresee a brilliant future for Vladimir Vasilyevich”
Dmitry ORESHKIN, head of the Mercator group:
— The arguments that Vladimir Ustinov was fired in order to be returned to big politics seem helpless to me. Because then there would have been a different style of dismissal, and everything would not have been decided overnight. It is also unlikely that the Prosecutor General would have been dismissed from his position and then hired back, but would have been transferred to another job. No one fired Dmitry Medvedev from the administration, he simply left for another job. In administrative games this is a very significant thing; in the highest bureaucratic society it is not accepted. To resign is insulting and humiliating. If an official is respected, he is not just fired and then hired to another position, he is immediately transferred to another position.
Well, the reaction at the prosecutor’s office itself is indicative - everyone there is in panic. They don’t know what will happen next, who will lead them, who will be transferred where, fired or dismissed. That is, I don’t foresee a brilliant future for Vladimir Vasilyevich. I think he has passed the peak of his administrative career, now he will be sent to a nice quiet place, away from real political life.
They fired because the president was tired of the increasingly obvious strengthening of the so-called security wing and its independent behavior. He was used to the fact that the power wing was a glove placed on the president’s hand. And as soon as this glove began to represent something, to think too much about oneself, to form new behavior patterns, I had to take off the glove. The Igor Sechin-Vladimir Ustinov bloc was getting stronger, and Yuri Luzhkov joined them. A dangerous center was formed, a financial, administrative and activity center. Someone came running to Vladimir Putin with a petition and said that they had planned an evil deed...
In general, these security forces have offended many people, and I’m not even talking about business. But according to administrative standards, they have already begun to engage in lawlessness in relation to the governors - they brought in the Nenets governor Alexei Barinov for no reason. But Putin fired such a major figure not so much for reasons of justice, but out of reluctance to have a powerful informal group based on considerations of political balance.
It is unlikely that Dmitry Kozak, the presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District, will be appointed to the vacant position, partly because the president never does what everyone expects. When Fradkov was appointed, no one suspected that he would be the one. Also, the Caucasus, where Dmitry Kozak is holding the situation, cannot be left unattended. I think the president understands this.
"The President decided to bring the factions into balance"
Mark URNOV, director of the Expertise Foundation:
— It seems that the group with which Ustinov was associated (I mean Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Igor Sechin) has recently begun to move too actively ahead in terms of influence. An attack was also launched on German Gref, and a powerful supposedly anti-corruption campaign was launched, which added to the popularity of the Prosecutor General's Office. The President decided to bring the groups into balance and removed Ustinov, since he could not remove anyone else. Sechin is too close a figure; Fradkov is not so influential. And the removal of Ustinov is a sharp institutional weakening of this group.
Dmitry Kozak is named among the candidates, but I don’t think he will be appointed, it would be too harsh an attack on Sechin’s group, who has very tense relations with Kozak. It is not the style of a president to carry this kind of fight to the end.
“Ustinov failed to cope with his responsibilities and tried to shift responsibility to the president”
Joseph DISKIN, co-chairman of the National Strategy Council:
— If you carefully read Mr. Ustinov’s speech a week ago at a coordination meeting of the heads of law enforcement agencies, it meant either a resignation letter or a direct accusation of the president’s connivance. He said that organized crime has penetrated all government bodies, all regions. How can such a statement be interpreted? Either you can’t cope with the job, according to the law the Prosecutor General is the coordinator of the fight against organized crime, or you are hinting that the president who is above you does not allow you to work. Vladimir Ustinov confronted the President with the need to either take responsibility for this situation, or dismiss the Prosecutor General on any of two grounds: either the Prosecutor General incorrectly states the situation, which speaks of incompetence, or he tells the truth, then for the six years that he heads prosecutor's office, he failed in his task.
This time the question would be posed in such a way that the president would not have the opportunity to postpone this resignation, and he could not accept responsibility. It turned out that Ustinov failed in his duties and tried to shift the responsibility onto the president.
There are two real candidates - the presidential representative in the Volga Federal District, Alexander Konovalov, who is making a rapid career (now he is a plenipotentiary representative and a member of the Security Council; in terms of rank, this will not even be an increase, but a horizontal move), and the second candidate is the presidential plenipotentiary representative in Southern Federal District Dmitry Kozak, who believes that he has served his term of exile. Moreover, Kozak is a former prosecutor.
I am leaning towards the second candidate, because this position requires a person from another group. Dmitry Kozak is inclined towards greater compliance with the law and less manipulation. Moreover, the prosecutor's office suffered too many open defeats under Ustinov. Ksenia VERETENNIKOVA, Daria GUSEVA |
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