United Russia brands Kudrin's statement on military spending as "political cynicism"
MOSCOW. Oct 11 (Interfax) - Andrei Isayev, the first deputy secretary of the Presidium of the United Russia party's General Council, has criticized ex-finance minister Alexei Kudrin's claims that military spending cannot be increased in Russia.
"Kudrin's statement is the height of political cynicism," Isayev was quoted as saying on the party's website on Tuesday.
"He has changed colors, guided by political expediency, and complains about a possible cut in spending on education and healthcare. His crocodile tears will hardly convince anyone," Isayev said.
"Regarding Mr. Kudrin's objections to larger spending on defense, I would like to visit an officers' dormitory jointly with Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin. And let him tell the officers and their wives that he opposes a larger pay for servicemen, mortgage programs for the military and higher pensions for military pensioners. Let him tell the workers of defense companies that he is against the armed forces' modernization. And I will watch how popular his views will be with this audience," he said.
Isayev said that during his tenure as finance minister Kudrin was "a major braking force, slowing the increase in spending on education and health care."
"When I worked on the Committee for Labor and Social Policy, my colleagues and I would often argue with Kudrin, who actually opposed the national health program and the program to upgrade the healthcare system. He would claim each time that this would require a large budgetary spending," Isayev said.
Isayev also said that the task to further develop education and health care ranks among the party's clearly defined objectives. "These tasks imply an increase in teachers' salaries to a level equal to the average salary in each region no later than the middle of next year, and a further increase in the spending on purchases of modern equipment for the Russian healthcare system," he said.
Kudrin on Monday again conveyed disagreements with President Dmitry Medvedev. "I would provide less now for increasing military spending than for healthcare," Kudrin said at the MDG-6 Eastern Europe and Central Asia Forum in Moscow.
"I have already made my position clear and I think that an increase in military spending will put an increased support for educational and healthcare program in jeopardy. This is the essence of my conflict with the current president," Kudrin said.
Medvedev signed Kudrin's resignation on September 26 after Kudrin's tenure of the finance minister post for 11 years. This was preceded by a statement Kudrin made in Washington to the effect that he would not stay in the government if it is led by Medvedev, given rifts with the president on economic policies, primarily the large spending on military programs.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on October 6 described Kudrin as one of the world's best specialists in his field and said he would remain on the team.