Medvedev takes power with civil rights pledge

DMITRY MEDVEDEV was inaugurated as Russia’s president yesterday, pledging to bolster the country’s economic development and civil rights, in what may signal a departure from his predecessor’s heavy-handed tactics.

Medvedev took the oath of office in the Kremlin’s golden-hued Andreyevsky Hall, bringing to an end Vladimir Putin’s eight years as president.

But Putin is sure to continue to wield huge influence in the country.