Communists refuse to back Putin’s pick for PM

The Communist faction in Russia’s parliament has once again abstained from voting to approve the country’s Prime Minister

Russia’s State Duma on Friday approved the nomination of Mikhail Mishustin for his renewed tenure as the country’s prime minister. The decision was upheld in a presidential decree signed by Vladimir Putin later in the day.

The nomination was backed by 375 MPs out of 432 present during the vote by the 450-member legislature. The whole parliamentary faction of the Russian Communist Party (KPRF), 57 MPs, abstained from voting.

The KPRF leader Gennady Zyuganov vowed to abstain ahead of the voting, explaining the move by an alleged lack of “political will” shown by the government, the budget deficit, and other issues.

Nonetheless, the Communists are ready to work with Mishustin, Zyuganov stated, adding that actually backing the nomination, however, had required the personal responsibility of all the MPs.

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“The faction, having consulted its allies, prepared a set of tasks for this government. As soon as we hear from the Prime Minister that they are ready to implement a significant part of these programs, then we are ready to support this government. In the current situation, the faction will abstain,” Zyuganov explained.

The KPRF has long been wary of Mishustin, repeatedly complaining over the government’s alleged inability to tackle “oligarchs,” alleged sloppy work, and an ongoing “crisis of capitalism” in general.

In fact, the party pulled the same move back in January 2020, when Mishustin was first tapped by Putin to lead the government, abstaining from the vote to pick the PM then as well.