Russian parliament approves new PM Mikhail Mishustin

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian lawmakers approved Russian President Vladimir Putin's nomination for a new prime minister on Thursday, January 16, following a series of bombshell announcements including constitutional changes and the resignation of the government, Deutsche Welle reports.

The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, voted in favor of tax authority chief Mikhail Mishustin. He received 383 votes out of the 424 cast — which included 41 abstentions.

In an address to parliament ahead of the vote, Mishustin said that Russians must "feel real changes for the better" and that he was committed to keeping inflation at around 4%.

He added that all members of his government will "bear personal responsibility" for achieving Putin's economic development program, Russian news agency Interfax reported.

On Wednesday, Putin said was "satisfied" with the previous government's performance, although they failed to fulfill certain tasks.

It was not immediately clear whether Mishustin will be a temporary figure or if he was selected as a possible successor to Putin. The new prime minister said that an announcement will be made in the next few days about the composition of his Cabinet.