Putin to report work done by govt to State Duma Wed

MOSCOW, April 20 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is to
address the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament for a third
time here on Wednesday in a report on the work done by the government in
2010. Most likely, in line with the already edtablished tradition, he will
not limit himself to just a "report' but will also tell about plans for
the forthcoming year. This, on the eve of parliamentary and presidential
eledtions, may be viewed as a kind of election programme.
A government staff source has told Itar-Tass, "Main emphasis in the
address will be laid on social subjects". In particular, the source said,
"The Premier, upon recalling that even during the downturn the government
was fulfilling social obligations to the citizens, and will suggest taking
the quality of people's life as a reference point". "Running throughout
the report will be the idea that investments in human capital and
qualitative development will be the main things in the post-recession
period," the source added.
In the spring of 2009, when presenting a report in this format for the
first time, Putin related a recession control programme of the Cabinet
headed by him and in April last year he presented simultaneously a report
on the government activities in 2009 and gave an account of recession
control measures.
The Premier's press secretary Dmitry Peskov has told Itar-Tass that
this time Putin's address will somewhat differ from the previous ones. He
said the Head of Government will suggest "post-recession development
measures".
Putin set the tonality of Wednesday's address when he was meeting with
the leaders of the Duma factions in preparation for the report. During a
conversation with the Head of the CPRF, Putin promised that he would
relate "not only what was done over the past year" but would also describe
"the immediate plans for the future".
The Russian Premier is apparently to provide answers to such questions
-- which are of current importance in the process of getting out of the
downturn -- as to how economic growth will be ensured, which development
model wil be chosen and how the social welfare sector will look like. This
is what a heightened interest in Wednesday's report can be accounted for.
A comprehensive address by the Premier and leader of the largest Duma
faction of the United Russia party (URP) (last year the address continued
for more than one hour) several months prior to parliaimentary polls may
be regarded as an election platform.
However, it is too early to say that this is a platform of Vladimir
Putin himself: whether he will head a URP list at elections to the State
Duma will become known, according to him, closer to the URP congress in
September. Which precisely part of the address will deal with economic
matters and which with the problems of social development and a rise in
the quality of life will be shown only by the Premier-presented report
proper.