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Journalism of Courage
MOSCOW, JANUARY 3: On his first day of office in the Kremlin, after assuming the duty of acting President, last week, Vladimir Putin fired former Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s controversial younger daughter Tatyana Dyachenko.
Putin also sacked Yeltsin’s press secretary Dmitry Yakushkin, along with two deputy heads of presidential administration.
Dyachenko had been working as Yeltsin’s image maker since 1997 and accompanied his father on all foreign trips. She had been one of the key players, influencing Yeltsin’s policy decisions.
Her name has been associated with the “Yeltsin family,” a Kremlin caucus, consisting of top Kremlin officials and Russia’s top business tycoons Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich, who have recently been elected for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
Recently, Russian media accused, Tatyana had allegedly been involved in money-laundering cases.
Putin also met today with the chairman of Russia’s Constitutional Court Marat Baglai and discussed the possible date for presidential elections.
Before demiting office, Yeltsin signed a decree for presidential elections to be held on March 26. Under the constitution, presidential elections should be held within three months.
Ekho Moskvy radio said, quoting Baglai that Putin may ask the Federation Council, the upper house, to fix an earlier date for presidential elections.
