Commenting on the candidacy for the post of Prime Minister proposed by Vladimir Putin, Chairman of St.Petersburg branch of YABLOKO Maxim Reznik stated that from the point of view of European tradition it would have been more correct to propose the candidacy of Boris Gryzlov as leader of the parliamentary party which won the parliamentary elections. "A government formed in this way by United Russia, enjoying the trust of some of the electorate would together with the President assume responsibility for state policy in the country."

"What has actually happened is simply laughable," said Reznik. "The candidacy proposed by the President does not provide any idea of the kind of policies that will be implemented. This means that President Putin did not kept his promise when he dismissed Mikhail Kasyanov's Cabinet. Certainly I understand that the present State Duma can approve the candidates proposed by Vladimir Putin for Prime Minster, but the head of state in the 21st century should not resemble Caligula who took his horse to the Senate."

According to Reznik, "all this represents merely some elements of a PR campaign aimed at increasing the interest of the electorate in the forthcoming elections. This will change nothing in the country: one person has been making all the decisions in Russia and will continue doing so. Such a situation is as related to democracy as Minister Lesin (Ed. Minister of Press) is to freedom of speech."