| The government cannot waste a single day in ensuring the
budget passes its three further readings in the State Duma, President Vladimir
Putin said Monday, Interfax reported.
"One, two, three failures and we'll ruin the working schedule on
the most important economic document of the next year," Putin told
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.
He said he was satisfied that the budget had passed its first reading
Friday, but that he expected "a lot of work" was still ahead.
A total of 246 lawmakers from four pro-Kremlin factions, the Agrarians
and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia voted to pass the $88.6 billion
spending bill Friday.
The Communists, Yabloko and the Union of Right Forces voted against
it. The second of the four required readings is scheduled for Oct. 15.
The second and third readings are usually the toughest.
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Budget-2004
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