UPDATE 6: Putin nominates Medvedev for post of prime minister

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MOSCOW, May 7 (PRIME) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin, who entered a new 6-year term on Monday, has submitted the candidacy of Dmitry Medvedev for the post of prime minister to the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Medvedev held the post of prime minister from May 8, 2012 till Monday. The government has resigned after inauguration of Putin earlier in the day.

A government source said earlier that current members expect that a new government will be formed during several weeks.

Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said that the government coped with the economic crisis and this will be taken into account during consideration of Medvedev’s candidacy.

“We presume…that the government chaired by…Medvedev, working in the past period, coped with the challenges, with an economic crisis, which testifies to the professionalism of the chairman of the government, testifies to his effectiveness, which will be taken into account during decision making on whether to approve,” Volodin said.

Medvedev nominated Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as his first deputy, he said at a meeting with the United Russia party.

He offered to appoint Tatyana Golikova as the deputy responsible for social policies and healthcare, Alexei Gordeyev for agriculture, Dmitry Kozak for industry and the energy sector, and Olga Golodets for culture and sports.

Deputy of the State Duma Natalya Kostenko said in a Facebook post that Medvedev offered Vitaly Mutko as the deputy for construction, Maxim Akimov for the digital economy, transport and connection, and Yury Borisov for defense.

She said that Medvedev offered to appoint Konstantin Chuychenko as the head of the government’s central office.

A source in United Russia said that Medvedev did not name his candidates for ministerial posts during the meeting.

Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told reporters earlier he would be interested in working at the new government. “Everything depends on what decisions about me will be made by the country’s leadership. My opinion: if they invite me, then of course it would be interesting,” he said.

Alexei Kudrin, chairman of the board of the Center for Strategic Research and finance minister in 2000–2011, earlier declined to comment on rumors about his forthcoming appointment to a high post.

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