Putin may become Gazprom chairman

Analysts and officials say that after the March 2008 presidential elections Vladimir Putin might accept the post of chairman of the board of directors of energy giant Gazprom.

First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who has been officially nominated as a candidate for the presidency, intends to leave his post at Gazprom, which he has held since 2000, after winning the elections. Shareholders can nominate candidates for chairman until January 31, 2008.

Alexander Ignatov, executive director of the public Election Right Institute, said the law on state service does not prohibit the president from holding a post of board chairman.

Political analyst Alexei Makarkin says that traditionally the president is expected to keep an equal distance from all state-controlled companies.

Officials and experts wonder who will take Medvedev's place at Gazprom.

A source from Medvedev's team and two sources with close connections in Gazprom and its board of directors said Vladimir Putin, who Medvedev wants to be his prime minister, is a likely candidate.

A source close to the Kremlin said an intermediate candidate might hold the post before Putin takes it.

"The most probable scenario is that Medvedev and Putin will swap places," Makarkin said.

Steven Dashevsky, the managing director at Aton, one of largest Russian equity brokers by traded volumes, said this is a possible scenario. However, Medvedev could also be replaced by a minister or a high-ranking Kremlin official, because Putin will have enough instruments to influence Gazprom, the businessman said.

A Kremlin official said there would be no change until the presidential elections, and that he doubts Putin needs the post.
A Gazprom manager said Medvedev is deeply involved in running the company, carefully listening to information during the board's meetings, demanding additional data, and sometimes answering questions put to other directors.

Konstantin Simonov, head of the Center for Current Politics in Russia, said Medvedev, who is not responsible for the fuel and energy sector as first deputy prime minister, often attended international talks bearing on Gazprom, repelled all attempts to split the company, and pressed for raising gas prices to European levels by 2011.

Source: Vedomosti (What the Russian papers say, RIA Novosti) - December 21, 2007