Medvedev nominates Putin as Prime Minister

Moscow, May 7: Within hours of his inauguration as President today, Dmitry Medvedev nominated outgoing President and his mentor Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister and presented his nomination for approval to the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament.

''The Russian President submitted a statement to the State Duma nominating Vladimir Putin for the post of Prime Minister,'' lower house speaker Boris Gryzlov told reporters. ''Medvedev has put forward Putin's candidacy for Prime Minister to parliament,'' a Kremlin spokesman said earlier confirming Putin's nomination as new PM replacing Viktor Zubkov. Putin has a large majority in the 450-member State Duma and is expected to take up his new post as early as tomorrow.

Earlier today, Russia's Cabinet formally resigned after Medvedev's oath-taking ceremony, in the Kremlin.

UNI