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Journalism of Courage
The Mayor of Moscow,Yuri M Luzhkov,a dominant figure in Russia in the two decades since the Soviet collapse,was dismissed on Tuesday by President Dmitry A Medvedev after questioning the Presidents fitness and thus rattling the tightly controlled government here.
The Kremlin attributed Medvedevs decision to his loss of trust in Luzhkov. The two had been feuding,and Luzhkov had seemed to be trying to create a rift between Medvedev and Vladimir V Putin. Luzhkov had been under pressure to resign,but on Monday,declared that he would not.
Medvedev who has championed policies to modernise Russia,has been clearing away a generation of a older leaders clinging to power.
On a visit to China,Medvedev said on Tuesday: It is difficult to imagine a situation under which a Governor and a President of Russia… can continue to work together when the President has lost confidence in the leader of a region, Medvedev said. A current Deputy Mayor of Moscow was named temporarily to head the city.
Putins United Russia sprang to Medvedevs defence. We regret that one of the founders of the United Russia party,due to his own mistakes,has lost the trust of the head of the government, said party secretary Vyacheslav Volodin.
Putins role in the quarrel has been the subject of intense speculation. But it seemed unlikely that Medvedev would have dismissed Luzhkov without Putins assent.
Luzhkov has endured sustained criticism for reigning like an autocrat,muzzling dissent and allowing corruption to flourish. During his tenure,his wife,Yelena Baturina,became one of the worlds richest women.
