Medvedev says criticism of state crisis policies is "unsurprising"

Mar 13, 2009, 15:29 GMT

Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that the government's anti-crisis policies were not beyond criticism, welcoming policy debate while warning against social unrest in a meeting with lawmakers.

The open attitude comes in marked contrast to his predecessor Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's uncompromising rule and to the Kremlin's swift moves to quell protest against the governments anti- crisis measures in recent months.

'To overcome the aftermath of the crisis, some debates are quite admissible and even necessary. Policy can take many directions. There is nothing surprising about the current policy being criticized,' Medvedev was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.

'Of course, you can also voice support if you consider the policy correct,' Medvedev told regional legislators at the Kremlin meeting.

Some observers and regional governors have objected to the government's anti-crisis policies, saying they did little to address problems in the industrial regions and were focused on bailing out oligarchs cozy with the Kremlin.

Medvedev has responded with injunctions to regional leaders to shape up the effectiveness of their work or risk loosing their jobs. He has already moved to replaced five governors in regions particularly hard hit by rising unemployment.

The Russian president on Friday told lawmakers to be watchful of the social toll of the economic crisis, but not to fall prey to 'populism and demagoguery.'

'I am hopeful that each one of you understands that today we live and work in a new reality, which requires us to be extremely attentive, very careful in our actions and pay close mind to the needs and difficulties of people,' he was quoted as saying.

Russian newspapers have buzzed with rumours of a rupture between Putin and his handpicked successor Medvedev since Russia began feeling the pinch of the financial crisis.

But while Medevedev, a former corporate lawyer, has been more vocal of the need for reform to the legal system, other analysts expect his words will bring little concrete change and point out he also emphasizes the need for policy continuity with Putin's presidency.