6 Annual Big Press Conference Part 8
February 1,2007
President of Russia V.Putin
Round Hall,the Kremlin,Moscow
M. SOLOVYENKO (Narodnoye Veche newspaper, Vladivostok): Everyone has their own question they want to raise, and mine is again about corruption. Im here unofficially, and my question likewise. I ask my colleagues to excuse me if my question is a bit lengthy, but Ill try to be quick.
You have worked very well on the international stage, Vladimir Vladimirovich, and now you and the government have come up with this marvellous project for Vladivostok. We are to have an oceanarium, and, I hope, 50 planes a day, and a bridge to Russky Island, and probably life will suddenly start to look like paradise.
But you know, you barely left Vladivostok, and all these assistants, advisors, former senators, deputies engaged in smuggling, and former vice-governors who have plundered our budget have already started dividing the hundred billion that the cabinet promised us.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, you who know and can do everything, please tell us how you are going to protect us from these thieves, these mobsters? And even though you say that you work rather than rule, perhaps you could introduce direct presidential rule in Vladivostok and the Primorye region?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I think that if we want all Russian citizens and the population of various regions to feel that they are involved in the life of their country, district, region or city, we have to work at this together. Do you remember the discussion on the new way to bring to power the heads of regions and people talked about naming the heads of regions? Yet this new system does not amount to naming them since the deputies of the local assembly have to vote on the gubernatorial candidate. And I have already said and can repeat once again that there were already instances when I had to change my initial opinion, when the deputies of the legislative assembly said: we respect you and as you expressed it here we even love you, but we will not vote for the candidate that you want to suggest. And you know, as a matter of fact this makes me happy? We are achieving what I wanted, namely that the regional authorities have deep links with national interests and yet an understanding of local problems and dependence from people who live in the region, in this case, the directly elected deputies of the legislative assembly. For that reason I dont think that we need to introduce direct presidential rule we simply need to uncover the problems that are hindering the country and the regions as a whole by working together, and to fight against them together.
As to corruption, there are many ways to fight against it. We very often return to this problem, to these issues. One of them is certainly developing the media. And we know that the authorities are often criticised for limiting the freedom of the media. And society criticises that same media for the fact that the content and style of their work do not correspond to the populations expectations. And they are right to criticise us and to criticise you. But when looking for more effective ways to fight against corruption, other than the development of civil society and freedom of the media, then it becomes clear that there are no more effective ways.
Of course we should strengthen and we will strengthen the various instruments of supervision and prosecution, including criminal prosecution, for illegal actions. But this will always remain insufficient if we both fail to understand the issue and encourage society to fight against this evil itself. And in this sense of course a great deal depends on you
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В.Путин.6 Ежегодная большая пресс-конференция (Putin) Part 7by niknikolay1,862 views
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