RUSSIA:VLADIMIR PUTIN agreed yesterday to become chairman of Russia's dominant political party - though he will not be a party member - cementing his influence after he steps down as president in favour of Dmitry Medvedev.
Mr Putin will combine the role of prime minister with leadership of United Russia - the parliamentary party with two-thirds of seats in Russia's lower house - and is the first post-Soviet premier to do so.
As well as bolstering Mr Putin's authority, some analysts saw it as an important step towards turning Russia into more of a parliamentary democracy. But the decision to chair the pro-Kremlin party while not holding a membership card (following a rule change) raised eyebrows even among close followers of Russia's politics.
Mr Putin appeared to be attempting to use United Russia as a powerbase independent of the presidency. At the same time, he will want to make it a more effective political force, while avoiding the risk of being too intimately associated with the party should its fortunes wane.
"As chairman he has power over the party, but since he is a non-party member, they don't have power over him," said Vyacheslav Nikonov, a political consultant close to the Kremlin. "Institutionally, it will make him more influential but, politically, it will make him more vulnerable because there are many people who don't like United Russia."
Mr Putin accepted the chairmanship at a party congress that had some echoes of the Soviet Communist party. His candidacy was accepted unanimously by 577 voting delegates who gave the outgoing president standing ovations.
"I gratefully accept the proposal of party members and the leadership," Mr Putin said. "I'm ready to take on the additional responsibility and head United Russia."
In a more low-key address, Mr Medvedev supported Mr Putin's chairmanship of United Russia as "logical and timely. It opens up the perspective of the Russian government being formed on the basis of a parliamentary majority." But Mr Medvedev turned down an offer of membership himself, saying he believed as president he should not belong directly to a political party.
Mr Putin has also preferred to remain outside United Russia, even as he headed the party's candidate list for last December's parliamentary elections in which it won 315 of the 450 seats. Analysts suggested he was wary of getting embroiled in party politics, particularly with a party he viewed as having serious shortcomings.
Weeks before the elections, he said he decided to head United Russia's list as there was "nothing better", and warned its members included "rogues and scoundrels".
Mr Putin yesterday renewed his call for the party to reform: "It must be more open to discussion and taking voters' opinions into account. It must be debureaucratised and purged of . . . people trying only to profit from it."
Sergei Markov, who became United Russia parliament deputy in December, said that by not becoming a member, Mr Putin would keep his "freedom of action. He will preserve his status as national leader." - ( Financial Times service )