Duma could confirm Russian PM, govt members by May 15 - MP Slutsky

MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax) - The Russian State Duma could gather for a plenary session on May 8 or 10 to consider the confirmation of a prime ministerial candidate, Russian Liberal-Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Leonid Slutsky said.

"We're ready any second, but that's going to be after the [presidential] inauguration ceremony. If we get a candidacy right after the inauguration, we could consider it on May 8, and if it's later, then it's later. We'll decide as we go, we're ready for that," Slutsky told journalists on Monday.

The parliamentarians "will act based on when a candidate for prime minister is proposed to the State Duma," after which the Duma Council will hold a meeting, he said.

The endorsement of candidacies for deputy prime ministers and government members would take "approximately two plenary sessions," Slutsky said.

"It's very likely that this could be either on May 13 or 14," he said.

Slutsky believes the Duma's sessions addressing the matter "could be quite heated."