4 Annual Big Press Conference Part 2
December 23,2004
President of Russia V.Putin
The Kremlin,Moscow
I must say that we began planning for these wage increases to take place over two years. The minimum wage should rise to 1,100 roubles by May 2006, which represents an increase of around 83 percent over 18 months. Of course, it would be good to go even further, but the trend, I repeat, is a positive one.
That is what I wanted to say just for start. Now I am ready to take your questions. Please, go ahead.
A. VERNITSKY (Channel One): Mr President, you have given us some of the years economic results. What about the political results of the year? How do you see this year as having gone?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: This year was not an easy one neither for our country nor for the world in general. We know what a tense situation prevails in many regions, and not just in the Middle East or in Iraq but in other places as well. Despite the problems, however, the year is ending and it is ending on a positive note. Without any doubt though, I think that here, at least for me, and I think for practically all our people, events such as the tragedy in Beslan will have very much marked our memories of this year.
In this connection I want to say that we will continue to give the necessary attention both at home and on the international stage to fighting terrorism and strengthening our law enforcement agencies and our entire political system. You know about my proposed changes to the way the heads of the regions are elected. This law has now been passed. Of course, we still have to put in place the mechanisms in practice, mechanisms that would ensure a situation where the regional heads would feel their responsibility towards the country as a whole while at the same time being sensitive to the problems of their regions.
Finally, we are moving towards a parliament that would be elected based on party lists. Here too there are issues we must work through in order to ensure that these new proposals will be of genuine benefit to the country in practice and will enable us to build a more balanced political system and encourage the development of a multiparty system in the Russian Federation.
A. TUMANOV (Vashy 6 Sotok newspaper [gardening publication]): Mr President, at the last press conference I was also sitting here in the front rows and I asked you, if you remember, about people who keep gardens and vegetable plots in the country. On that occasion you gave a lot of figures and said how much agricultural produce all these people actually produce on their plots of land. You know all the facts and were well prepared. I dont know if you have been informed or not, but the situation today is that
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I also used to work in the vegetable plot.
A. TUMANOV: Yes, you spoke about that.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: At least, my parents were very active gardeners.
A. TUMANOV: You were very widely quoted after you said that you had to slave away in the garden.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Did I say that?
A. TUMANOV: Yes, you did indeed.
But anyway, the situation now is that bureaucrats have got gardeners and vegetable plot-owners in such a tight squeeze that people are just abandoning their land, abandoning their gardens. The problem is that if you own a plot of garden land, its impossible not to end up selling and whole garden cooperatives are abandoning their land now.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Why?
A. TUMANOV: Because its all so expensive these days. Transport costs are expensive and the bureaucrats are imposing every sort of tax imaginable. They have decided to start protecting the environment. And how do they protect the environment? Impose taxes, and thats as far as it goes. It isnt profitable anymore to keep a garden. But theres nowhere for people to turn to. The miners have somewhere to turn to, the Orthodox have somewhere to turn to, but gardeners have nowhere to go, not a single organisation to represent their interests. Now you are setting up this Public Council and we have some hope that maybe there will be someone there who can somehow represent the interests of gardeners and vegetable plot-owners. Maybe a new law will be passed. What interests me is how will this Public Council be formed? I have read the law, but the thing is that there are rumours now that the Public Council will be composed of officials who have somehow caused displeasure and that it will serve as a place to get rid of them, a sort of exile for them.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: No, we havent planned any such exile.
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В.Путин.Интервью телеканалу ОРТ 07.02.00 Part 5by niknikolay17,809 views
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