Acting President of Russia

The Acting President of the Russian Federation (Russian: Исполняющий обязанности Президента Российской Федерации) is a temporary post provided by the Constitution of Russia. The Acting President is a person who fulfills the duties of President of the Russian Federation when cases of incapacity and vacancy occur. This post is held by the Prime Minister of Russia.

Incapacity

Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin assumed the role of Acting President when President Boris Yeltsin underwent heart surgery. Chernomyrdin served for one day, from 5 November to 6 November 1996.^[1] No major event occurred during that time.

Vacancy

After Yeltsin's resignation on 31 December 1999, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin served as Acting President until 7 May 2000, when he took office as elected President.^[2]

During the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, Vice President Alexander Rutskoy was named by Parliament as the Acting President when the legislature announced Yeltsin's removal from office. On 21 September 1993 at 12:22 a.m., Rutskoy assumed the powers of acting president of Russia. He took the presidential oath, stating, "I am taking the authority of President. The anti-constitutional decree of President Yeltsin is annulled."

Rutskoy's interim presidency, although constitutional, was never acknowledged by anyone other than his supporters. After the two-week standoff and the violence on the streets of Moscow, on 4 October 1993 the Parliament building was taken by Yeltsin's military forces. Rutskoy and his supporters were arrested and charged with organization of mass disturbances. On the same day, Yeltsin officially dismissed Rutskoy as vice president and fired him from the military forces.

List

• Alexander Rutskoy (22 September – 4 October 1993)
• Viktor Chernomyrdin (5 – 6 November 1996)
• Vladimir Putin (31 December 1999 – 7 May 2000)

References

• Constitution of the Russian Federation