Putin scraps government

Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired his Cabinet this week, a surprise move that rids the government of the last major political figure left from the Yeltsin era, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. Kasyanov had been out of favor for months, ever since he criticized government harassment of major business leaders. But most observers thought that Putin would wait until after the presidential election, later this month, to appoint a new government. Under the Russian system, the prime minister has mostly administrative duties and little political clout, but he does help build relationships with foreign countries. If the pro-Western Kasyanov is replaced with a hard-liner or KGB veteran, it could signal a change in Russian foreign policy.