Shariy: The Council of the State Duma adopted on Tuesday a proposal from the communists and the YABLOKO factions on discussing the no-confidence motion in the Cabinet of Mikhail Kasyanov. Our correspondent Vladimir Dolin interviews the leader of the YABLOKO faction Grigory Yavlinsky on this issue.

Dolin: The initiator of the vote of no-confidence to the Cabinet Grigory Yavlinsky holds no illusions. It is unlikely that the pro-governmental majority of the Duma will dismiss Mikhail Kasyanov.

Yavlinsky: Yes, our possibilities are extremely limited. But it is our duty to realise them to the full.

Dolin: But still Grigory Yavlinsky considers that it is necessary to table in the Duma a no-confidence motion.

Yavlinsky: This is the only way to seriously discuss the economic strategy of the country, to discuss its domestic policies and security issues which recently reached an absurd situation, where a number of crimes, ordered crimes are committed virtually daily. Second, it is a political act when all the political forces of the country can express their attitude to the present economic policies of the country and Russia's domestic policy.

Dolin: According to YABLOKO's leader, the 'technical" Cabinet of Mikhail Kasyanov should be made answerable for its sins, that were neglected by the deputies of the Duma for three years.

Yavlinsky: The government should answer and is responsible for developments that were caused by its inability to perform its constitutional duties.

Dolin: Today it is high time to start a no-confidence motion, thinks Yavlinsky.

Yavlinsky: Signs have emerged that the Cabinet has begun considering itself as a provisional Cabinet which will soon leave the Government's building. At the same time the present economic policies of the Cabinet lay down the grounds for our economic achievements and results for 2004 and 2005, and partially 2006. Therefore, the Cabinet, which is packing its suitcases - and it is easy to imagine what they are putting into their suitcases - represents a government which is unlikely to offer the country a policy which will ensure its economic growth at rates at least close to those proposed by the President in his Address [to the Federal Assembly].

Dolin: But Grigory Yavlinsky has not only addressed deputies on this issue.

Yavlinsky: We, including the President, have a week to think it over. If the President tells the so-called centrists to vote for the no-confidence motion, the Cabinet will get the political impulse the President mentioned in his Address.

Dolin: Grigory Yavlinsky is concerned about issues covering a far broader scope than the fate of Mikhail Kasyanov and his Cabinet.

Yavlinsky: It is absolutely necessary to finally formulate a thesis about a responsible political Cabinet.

Dolin: It transpires that there is such a party ready to assume responsibility for the performance of such a Cabinet.

Yavlinsky: We have such candidates, and we have seriously analysed the situation and believe that in this situation YABLOKO is to a large extent ready to work in the government, and speaking about definite candidacies - if the President finds it necessary, we are ready to discuss this issue.

Dolin: Furthermore Grigory Yavlinsky is not at all worried by charges from the [Union of ] Right-Wing [Forces] and the centrists that this is a PR campaign by the YABLOKO party and this is an unnatural alliance of the right and left wing in parliament.

Yavlinsky: Murders of deputies, governors and key businessmen: I don't worry here about who is my ally on this issue. In addition over the past three years the Prime Minister has virtually ot reported to the State Duma and has not answered any questions. We cannot agree and don't agree with 80% of the demands set forth to the Cabinet by the communists. But this does not imply that we cannot set forth our own demands: Take a broader look at the problem: the situation in the Duma with the help of the administrative resource, manipulation with people's minds in 1999 and even earlier - all this led to a situation where you have the following structure in the Duma: you are either with Zhirinovsky, or with the communists, and how one can make a reasonable choice between them? This means that there is only one way out: I, for example, am ashamed to look at those who will now make unite with Zhirinovsky to support the Cabinet. And there is only one way out: not to pay attention. We have our views on what the Cabinet should be like and how it should work. We cannot accept any more a situation where for three years not a single important political question has been asked or discussed. Further presidential elections are coming soon, and there has been no discussion of this kind. So we are setting this question. What is the difference for us: who supports us here?

Dolin: Yavlinsky thinks that tomorrow's visit of Mikhail Kasyanov to the Duma is directly attributable to the inclusion of the no-confidence motion in the agenda of the Duma's meeting on June 18, 2003.

See also:

No-Confidence Vote

Radio Liberty, June 11, 2003