Russia’s State Duma approverd Viktor Zubkov as the new prime minister of the country in a vote on Friday, two days after President Vladimir Putin proposed him for the job. Zubkov got 381 votes in favor, 47 against and 8 abstentions. Shortly after the vote he told MPs that his main priority would be to push for legal means to fight corruption systematically and to develop key industries.
Shortly after the vote, Vladimir Putin was quoted by BBC as saying that Zubkov may be one of five potential candidates to take his place in the 2008 presidential elections. Zubkov himself was quoted by media agencies on Thursday saying that he might consider to run for the top job in Kremlin.
Zubkov, a former financial crime investigator and farm manager, had no trouble getting through the Duma vote as it is controlled by the majority pro-Kremlin United Russia party.
