http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/01/18/putinst.shtml Russia’s Putin Blames Government, Regional Officials for Benefit Reform Chaos As a wave of protests swept through Russia with thousands embittered pensioners and war veterans fighting against the authorities’ plans to substitute social benefits with meager cash payments, President Vladimir Putin said the government’s execution of social security reforms was faulty, and ordered a more than doubling of the hike in pensions for the elderly. “The motives for the decisions taken by the State Duma and the government are understandable,” Putin, referring to the planned reforms, said in remarks at a meeting of Cabinet ministers broadcast on state television Monday. “The question is how they are carried out in practice. The government and the regions have not completely carried out their task that we spoke of, which was to not make the situation of those who depend on state assistance any worse,” Putin said. The Russian leader said a planned increase of 100 rubles — about $3.6 — in the basic national monthly pension scheduled to take effect April 1 was too little too late. The increase should be more than double that amount and should take effect from March 1 instead, Putin said. Prior to Putin’s announcement on pensions, two left-wing political parties, the Communist Party and the nationalist Rodina Party, called for the government’s resignation with one describing its implementation of the social reform scheme as a “provocation” to the whole country. Separately, a top general warned of growing displeasure in the army ranks over the government’s social security reforms which have also impacted on military personnel. “Do they want soldiers to protest in the streets too?” General Vladimir Shamanov, a former commander of military forces in Chechnya who was named two months ago as advisor to Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on social issues in the armed forces, asked at a news conference.
Let me guess - and the benelovent Putin can ride to the rescue once more, saving the people from the incompetence and cruelty of the useless parliament and paper-pushers. How convenient. I don't entirely trust Putin. He seems just a tad too clever, and has a certain calculating gleam in eyes, telling me that a lot goes on in that head of his that may not be immediately apparent. It will be quite interesting to see where he takes Russia.
