FACTBOX: Russian president and PM: who does what?
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will serve as prime minister after leaving the Kremlin and backs First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as president.
Following is a breakdown of presidential and prime ministerial powers under the current constitutional rules.
Russian officials caution that an exclusively legal view of the division of power does not allow for the deeply personal basis of authority in Russia.
* PRESIDENT:
- Head of state.
- Office in the Kremlin.
- Commander-in-chief of armed forces -- in charge of Russia's nuclear weapons.
- Sets direction of foreign and domestic policies.
- Guarantor of the constitution, citizens' rights.
- Defender of Russia's sovereignty.
- Prime minister reports directly to the president.
- Appoints and sacks PM and other federal ministers, subject to parliamentary approval.
- All Russian spy services report directly to the president.
- Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry, Emergency Ministry, Justice Ministry report directly to president.
- Controls the Presidential Administration, based in the Kremlin.
- Has a right to chair cabinet meetings, but normally leaves this to the prime minister. Continued...
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