Acting President of the Russian Federation

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

[edit] Incapacity

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

[edit] Vacancy

After Yeltsin's resignation on December 31, 1999 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin served as Acting President after Yeltsin resigned on May 7, 2000. Putin eventually 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 legislature announced Yeltsin's removal from office. On September 21, 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 outside of Russia. After the two-week standoff and the violence on the streets of Moscow, on October 4, 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.

[edit] References

Constitution of the Russian Federation