MOSCOW, March 3 (RIA Novosti) -- Acting federal Minister for Chechnya Stanislav Ilyasov said in a RIA Novosti interview on Wednesday that Chechnya's new prime minister might be appointed very soon. "Maybe, the Premier will be appointed within a week," he specified.
When asked about possible candidates to the post, Ilyasov named, in particular, the republic's former Finance Minister Sergei Abramov. "Anyway, President of the republic Akhmad Kadyrov will be taking the final decision," the acting Minister added.
Current Prime Minister of Chechnya Anatoly Popov has been on leave for a long time. Last autumn Mr. Popov was hospitalised for health reasons, and then he took a many-months' leave afterwards, which might last till April 9, according to some reports.
First Vice-Premier and Finance Minister Eli Isayev is now acting Prime Minister of Chechnya.
