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Russia's Zubkov confirmed as PM Putin looks to polls as PM chosen
(about 2 hours later)
Viktor Zubkov has been confirmed as Russia's new prime minister and has pledged to wage a war on corruption. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said new Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov is "one of five" people who could replace him as president next year.
The lower house of parliament voted 381 to 47 to approve his nomination, submitted by President Vladimir Putin in a surprise move on Wednesday. Mr Putin was speaking after his surprise nomination of Mr Zubkov as PM was accepted by 381 votes to 47 in the lower house of parliament.
He told MPs that corruption "permeates our society" and a law was needed to fight it systematically. Mr Zubkov said his priorities would be to ensure stability and innovation in the economy and to tackle corruption.
Mr Zubkov, 65, also said his priority would be ensuring stability and innovation in the Russian economy. Mr Putin did not identify the five he thought might run for president.
He pledged to develop Russia's "traditionally strong sectors" such as the aircraft industry and shipbuilding. However, Mr Zubkov did not rule himself out, saying: "If I get something done here, in this post of prime minister, then I do not exclude that."
Mr Zubkov is a former financial crime investigator, who has also worked as a state farm manager. Mr Putin described Mr Zubkov as "a real professional, a brilliant administrator".
He also served in the St Petersburg city administration, where he was a colleague of Vladimir Putin. 'Citizens have a choice'
He has not ruled out running for the presidency next March to succeed Mr Putin. The president said there had been criticism last year that the field for the presidential election on 2 March 2008 was "empty".
Coercion not enough
"What could ruin Russia is lack of professionalism and corruption," Mr Zubkov told MPs in the Russian State Duma.
"Corruption permeates our society. That is why of course measures need to be taken, and the sooner the better."
The new prime minister said in Russia "we speak a lot about corruption, yet there is no clear-cut definition of what corruption is, and nobody knows how to fight it".
Corruption should be inadmissible at any level Viktor ZubkovRussian Prime MinisterCorruption should be inadmissible at any level Viktor ZubkovRussian Prime Minister
He said a law was needed to set up a body like the department he once headed (Rosfinmonitoring - the Federal Financial Monitoring Service), "to deal with corruption issues regularly, on a day-to-day rather than ad hoc basis". On Friday, he said: "Now there are a minimum of five people who can stand for president."
And he suggested that the body could resemble the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. Two figures that have been in the frame for the top post are joint first deputy prime ministers Sergei Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev.
"Corruption should be inadmissible at any level, be it municipal, regional or federal," Mr Zubkov said, warning that repressive measures alone could not root it out. "Russian citizens will have a choice," Mr Putin said.
"Society itself should fight corruption... Society should work together with the law-enforcement agencies. Only then could this system sort out this issue." After his appointment, Mr Zubkov, 65, told MPs that corruption "permeates our society" and a law was needed to fight it systematically.
He pledged to develop Russia's "traditionally strong sectors" such as the aircraft industry and shipbuilding.
Mr Zubkov is a former financial crime investigator who has worked as a state farm manager.
He also served in the St Petersburg city administration, where he was a colleague of Mr Putin.
Among his government's priorities, Mr Zubkov listed:Among his government's priorities, Mr Zubkov listed:
    • keeping inflation down and preventing sharp rouble fluctuations
    • keeping inflation down and preventing sharp rouble fluctuations
    • government help for Russia's defence industry to recover from years of neglect
    • government help for Russia's defence industry to recover from years of neglect
    • Russian oil and gas, forest, fish and other natural riches should bring more revenue
    • Russian oil and gas, forest, fish and other natural riches should bring more revenue
      • The new prime minister said that in Russia "we speak a lot about corruption, yet there is no clear-cut definition of what corruption is, and nobody knows how to fight it".
      He said a law was needed to set up a body like the department he once headed (Rosfinmonitoring - the Federal Financial Monitoring Service), "to deal with corruption issues regularly, on a day-to-day rather than ad hoc basis".