Russian MPs may force Putin to hold elections

Russian MPs are preparing a proposal that could force President Vladimir Putin to choose between firing his Cabinet or dissolving parliament.

The leading members of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, scheduled a no-confidence vote in the Cabinet for March 14.

If the motion is passed twice within three months, Mr Putin must fire Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and his ministers or disband parliament, prompting early elections. The discussion left many Russians wondering what political upheavals could be in store after a year of relative calm since Mr Putin entered office.

The Communists proposed a no-confidence vote last month. They say they were motivated by the Cabinet's failure to improve the nation's living standards and social conditions, and its desire to spend the budget surplus on foreign debt payments instead of domestic needs.

Few thought the measure stood any chance of passing until Monday, when legislators from the pro-Kremlin Unity party announced they would support it - indicating Mr Putin's own backing.

Unity is to meet to decide how the party would vote. Unity leader Boris Gryzlov said he favoured voting no-confidence in the Cabinet to spark early elections that he predicted would give his party even more seats.

But many politicians and analysts say the Kremlin would not benefit from new elections, and suspect other motives.

Deputy Duma speaker Vladimir Lukin, from the liberal Yabloko party, suggested Mr Putin wanted Unity to support the no-confidence vote to get rid of Mr Kasyanov.

The prime minister has strong ties to ex-President Boris Yeltsin's former team, which has been plagued by corruption allegations. Others say Unity's move is aimed at threatening the Communists with early elections to make them stop criticising the Government.