Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Russian president yesterday and just over two hours later nominated his predecessor Vladimir Putin as prime minister.
Medvedev, a 42-year-old former corporate lawyer and longtime Putin ally, stressed freedom and the rule of law in his first remarks after taking the oath of office in a ceremony in the Kremlin's glittering St. Andrew's Hall.
"I believe my most important aims will be to protect civil and economic freedoms," he told guests at the inauguration, broadcast live on state television.
"We must fight for a true respect of the law and overcome legal nihilism, which seriously hampers modern development."
The government led by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov followed protocol by resigning shortly after the ceremony, clearing the way for Medvedev to nominate Putin as prime minister as the carefully choreographed transition unfolded.
The new leader, who arrived at the Kremlin alone in an armored black Mercedes limousine flanked by 11 motorcycle outriders, is said to be inheriting a booming economy fuelled by high oil prices - and a sobering set of challenges.
They include rising inflation, a declining population, sickly industry and agriculture, and increasingly tense relations with former Soviet neighbors and the West.
Before Medvedev was sworn in, a somber-looking Putin entered the Kremlin alone, bid farewell to the presidential guard and thanked the Russian people for their trust over his two four-year terms.
Barred by term limits from standing again, he encouraged his audience to support Medvedev.
Following the inauguration, Patriarch Alexiy II, head of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, led a service in the Kremlin's Cathedral of the Annunciation to bless the new president.
Putin named Medvedev as his preferred successor last December, ensuring his overwhelming victory in the March polls. The two men have worked together since the early 1990s.
Cabinet names are expected to come after Putin's nomination as prime minister is confirmed by parliament today.
A bookish child born to two university professors, Medvedev grew up in a modest, middle-class household. His speeches reflect his educated, legal background and are laced with long, complex sub-clauses.
"He is very cultured. You can speak to him about theater, music, and he has a sense of humor," said Natalya Rasskazova, who studied with Medvedev at St. Petersburg University's law faculty.
Medvedev has said little about his plans for government during the election campaign, shunning debates with other candidates and news conferences with foreign media and granting only one in-depth interview to a weekly news magazine.
His main campaign speech, in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, pledged respect for private property, freedom and an independent judiciary.
"I think he is well prepared, educated and modern. He has good experience as a lawyer, he's bright, but there is one drawback, he didn't work at the federal level long enough," said the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev of the new president earlier this year.
Friends say Medvedev's bookish, quiet exterior masks a man who has a steely determination to succeed and will not be pushed around.
"He is clever, clever enough to be president and he is tough, tough enough to be president," one former colleague from the 1990s told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries
