These are the political and the administrative-organizational reasons, said the President at a meeting with the members of the Cabinet fired the day before.
"What is taking place is, in fact, a scheduled measure. A question arises what was the reason for doing this and whether this should be done three weeks prior to the elections. I have two reasons - the political and the administrative-organizational," the President said.
"In my situation of the incumbent president and simultaneously a candidate for the post of the president I can and therefore consider it my duty to acquaint the public with a man whom I will offer as a chairman of the government," Putin said.
The President recalled that the head of government is the second person in the state.
