Putin faces no-confidence vote

Prime Minister Kasyanov has attracted the wrath of communists

MOSCOW, Russia -- President Vladimir Putin faces his first presidential challenge after Russian communists vowed to seek a no-confidence vote in his cabinet.

The communists, who make up 127 of the 450 seats with their allies in the State Duma lower house, are unlikely to secure the simple majority needed to topple Putin's regime.

But if the chamber confirms a no-confidence vote with a two-thirds majority next month, it could force Putin to sack his government or call an early parliamentary election.

The communists want Putin to follow more radical social policies, using revenues from oil production, rather than the stringent economic rules inherited from his predecessor Boris Yeltsin.

Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov said on Tuesday they were launching a campaign to call a no-confidence vote early next month.

Under parliamentary rules, the Duma leadership has to put a no-confidence motion on the agenda within a week if it receives a petition from 90 deputies or more.

Zyuganov said: "In the next few day we will collect signatures of 90 deputies under a petition demanding the government's resignation."

Communist Party hardline members have been unhappy with the party's co-operation with the government and its economic strategy.

Zyuganov added: "The country continues to follow the track laid by (former President) Yeltsin and his allies.

"The government does not hear the voice of the people and even a huge surplus provided by high oil prices did not help it to work out a reasonable policy."

Putin came to power after Yeltin's resignation on December 31, 1999, and won subsequent presidential elections in March 2000.

He has so far handled the Duma with skill and caution, avoiding the troubles faced by Yeltsin.

But a crisis started brewing earlier this month when the government wanted the Duma to use additional oil revenues, gained from high oil prices, to help pay off its huge international debt.

But many Duma deputies preferred to use the money for social programmes.

Zyuganov's statement came a day after talks with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov failed to find a settlement ahead of budget debates on Thursday.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Government of the Russian Federation
Duma (in Russian)
Financial Action Task Force
International Monetary Fund

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