The leader of Yabloko Grigory Yavlinsky thinks that Evgeni Primakov will maintain considerable political influence after leaving the post of the leader of Fatherland-All Russia faction and will be in demand from the executive authorities.

In an interview on Monday September 3, 2001, Yavlinsky expressed his belieft that resignation from the post of Fatherland-All Russia leader “is not very important” for Primakov.

“He is more significant as a politician, than as an individual occupying the nominal post of faction head,” noted the Yabloko leader. According to Yavlinsky, the resignation of Primakov “does not represent an event which can change his political status in the country.”

According to Yavlinsky, the opinion of Primakov and his position on key issues both in the Fatherland-All Russia faction and the State Duma in general “will be of importance in future too.”

Yavlinsky also stressed that he had always respected Primakov, “despite the fact that he advocated views that were not close to Yabloko and differ significantly from our ideas at to what and how things should be done in Russia.”

Yavlinsky also said that Primakov may be in demand in other structures, including the executive authorities. “This is quite possible,” noted Yavlinsky.

Speaking about the prospects for the Fatherland-All Russia faction in connection with the resignation of Primakov, Yavlinsky noted that even earlier the faction had faced problems that were “difficult to solve”. This happened when they adopted the decision to merge Fatherland and Unity.

According to Yavlinsky, it remains unclear what the structure of such a union may look like and how Fatherland and Unity will cooperate at party level and in the State Duma.

Based on Interfax reports.