MOSCOW (AP) – The man widely seen as a potential successor to President Vladimir Putin promised Monday that St. Petersburg residents would be given a final say over a controversial skyscraper project in the former imperial capital.
First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev made the statement during a two-hour, question-and-answer session with an Internet audience – in what appeared to be part of Kremlin efforts to further bolster his public profile.
Plans by state natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom to build a 320-meter (1,050-feet) glass-encased, twisting tower have drawn sharp protests by architects and historic preservationists in the historic city where imperial buildings are commonplace.
Medvedev, who is also chairman of Gazprom’s board, said that the company’s plan was just a preliminary “idea.” He pledged that the public would be given a say in the project under Russian law that requires soliciting residents’ opinion about large-scale construction projects.
“There is no final project yet,” he said.
“No one could deprive our citizens of that opportunity,” he said.
Medvedev also responded to a question about religious education in schools, saying it could only be voluntary – a position that puts him at odds with the dominant Russian Orthodox Church, which wants religious classes compulsory.
The statements appeared to be part of his efforts to win public sympathies in the run-up to next year’s presidential election.
Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov, Putin’s hawkish ex-KGB colleague and former defense minister, are considered the leading contenders. Both now hold the title of first deputy prime minister, and state-run television prominently features them in government meetings, speeches and visits to schools, hospitals, farms and factories. Both have avoided comment on whether they would be prepared to run for the presidency, apparently waiting for Putin’s blessing.
Putin is barred from a third consecutive term by the Constitution, and has suggested he may back a successor as the vote draws nearer. A candidate with Putin’s support would have a massive advantage over rivals because of the president’s broad popularity and the Kremlin’s grip on television and other campaign tools.
During the question-and-answer session, Medvedev dodged a question about his plans beyond next year, saying he wants to finish his work on the so-called national projects – large-scale government run projects aimed at boosting medical care, education, housing and agriculture across the country.
“Of course, I’m thinking about the future as any rational man, but these plans aren’t connected to any specific position,” he said with a smile. A legal expert from St. Petersburg, Medvedev, who with his baby face and dovish eyes initially had trouble looking authoritative, has recently grown more visible and more savvy in public speeches, looking relaxed and making jokes.
