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Putin says Russia will get new govt after elections

He made it clear that “we cannot fire everyone and must take a serious look” at the present members of the government

MOSCOW, October 17 (Itar-Tass) —— The government will have to be reshuffled after the elections, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.

At the same time, he made it clear that “we cannot fire everyone and must take a serious look” at the present members of the government.

“Getting rid of those who are not efficient is a duty of any leader,” Putin said in an interview with three federal television channels on Monday, October 17. “One does not have to be a president or chairman of the government. This what the head of any enterprise must do.”

“If we want the system to be effective, we will have to get rid of inefficient members of the government. And this is what we are actually saying, that both the government and the parliament need to be reshuffled,” he said.

However he warned against going to extremes. “There must be certain continuity. This is not the place for a child’s play only because someone said on your channels or in the press that everyone must be dismissed and therefore we must do so. That’s not serious,” Putin said.

“We have to take a look and see who starts doping the same job for a third or fourth term. They are already tired of this themselves. But if they worked well, they should be offered a proper place where they can use their expertise and skills,” the prime minister said.

“They will have to be replaced by new people with fresh ideas and readiness to implement these ideas. And this is the direction in which we will be moving,” Putin said.

President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier that the next government in Russia should consist of new people.

“If we succeed in carrying out the political programme, be sure that the broad government we are talking about and the actual one will consist of absolutely new people,” Medvedev said at a meeting with his supporters on Saturday, October 15.

“I think our country needs that badly,” he added.

Medvedev said he would get rid of officials who do not hear the people. “Social networks and the Internet as a whole provide a channel for feedback that everyone should use - ordinary people and the authorities,” the president said.

“I am telling your frankly: as long as work and I am active, I will get rid of people who can't work in such circumstances, even if these are distinguished people,” he said.

Medvedev also called for creating a broad government that would work with all electorates, not only with that of the winning party.

“I suggest that you think about creating a broad government that will work together with the main party that can form such a government - with United Russia - along with civil society, voters who are ready to vote for us, and even those who disagree with us,” Medvedev said.

“The more I work in the system of public administration, the more I understand how imperfect it is. We need to think how we can change this system and carry out reforms without dramas but calmly, persistently and firmly,” he said.