Vladimir Putin, acting president of Russia, handed out medals to military officers in Chechnya on Saturday

December 31, 1999
Web posted at: 11:16 p.m. EST (0416 GMT)

In this story: Putin addresses nation Yeltsin gets immunity from prosecution Putin has edge in election Yeltsin's popularity had dimmed 'I want to beg forgiveness' Putin's plans RELATED STORIES, SITES

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Hours after his sudden appointment as acting president of Russia, Vladimir Putin flew to Chechnya early Saturday to give a New Year's word of encouragement to Russian soldiers fighting a 3-month-old campaign against Chechen rebels.

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Putin was appointed to the post after the surprise resignation of Boris Yeltsin on Friday. He arrived in Gudermes, a Russian-held town east of the regional capital, Grozny, and awarded medals to several officers.

"I wish you a happy New Year," said Putin, dressed in a thick parka coat. "I wish you happiness, all the very best. I want you to know that Russia highly appreciates what you are doing."

After months of bombing and shelling the capital, the Russians launched an operation on December 25 to capture Grozny, the last major Chechen city under rebel control and the war's key political prize.

But Russian forces have been held up by heavily mined roads and tough rebel resistance.

In his first address to the nation on Friday, Putin pledged to uphold key freedoms and crush any attempt to destabilize the country.

In his resignation announcement, Yeltsin, 68, apologized to the nation for his mistakes and said it was time for new leadership in a new century.

Later, he spoke by telephone with President Bill Clinton, assuring the U.S. leader that Russia would remain committed to democracy, open markets, arms control and its constitution, the White House said.

Putin, 47, made the same commitment during an interview with CNN earlier this week.

He will now combine his current post of prime minister with his new position as acting president until a presidential election, which Russia is expected to hold on or about March 26, 2000.

Putin addresses nation

"There will be no power vacuum even for a moment," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying in a New Year's address broadcast on Russia's Far East Pacific coast. "I want to warn that any attempt to exceed the limits of law and the Russian Constitution will be decisively crushed."

"Freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of mass media, property rights -- all those basic elements of a civilized society will be safely protected by the state," Tass quoted Putin as saying.

Putin, who took office as prime minister in August and is Yeltsin's choice to succeed him as an elected president, praised his predecessor for putting Russia on the track of reform.

"It is clear today that Russia has taken the way to democracy and reforms, has not deviated from that path, has managed to emerge as a strong and independent state," Putin said. "He should be given considerable credit for that."

Yeltsin gets immunity from prosecution

Hours earlier, Yeltsin addressed the public on national television to announce his resignation -- leaving office six months ahead of schedule.

"Today, on the last day of the outgoing century, I resign," said Yeltsin, speaking in front of a gaily decorated New Year's tree and a blue, red and white Russian flag with a golden Russian eagle.

"I am stepping down ahead of term. I understand that I must do it and Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, with new faces, with new intelligent, strong, energetic people, and we who have been in power for many years must go," he said.

Yeltsin then left for his country residence outside Moscow, and Putin convened an emergency Cabinet session. The Kremlin said Yeltsin still plans to travel to Bethlehem next week for Orthodox Christmas celebrations.

Yeltsin turned over to Putin the so-called nuclear suitcase, which contains the codes to launch Russia's nuclear weapons. The Pentagon said it saw no sign that Russian military forces are on a higher state of alert.

Yeltsin also gave Putin medals symbolizing his presidential status and his presidential pen, while Russia's Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II looked on.

Putin immediately signed a decree offering Yeltsin immunity from prosecution, a lifetime pension, a government country home and bodyguards and medical care for him and his family.

Yeltsin has been hit by corruption allegations in recent months and had reportedly been hoping his successor could guarantee him protection from criminal investigation.

Putin has edge in election

Yeltsin became Russia's president in May 1991. He was re-elected in 1996 to a second four-year term that was set to expire in June 2000.

The popularity of the Communist Party maverick who swept into power as a post-Soviet reformer had weakened in recent years, as had Yeltsin's health.

But in an exclusive interview with CNN this week, Putin gave no indication that Yeltsin's resignation was imminent. He did, however, express an interest in traveling to Washington to meet with Clinton.

At the White House, Clinton paid tribute to the resigned Russian leader, saying he liked him because "he believed that democracy was the best system."

"I liked him because he was always forthright with me. He always did exactly what he said he would do. And he was willing to take chances to try to improve our relationship."

Putin, a former KGB officer who became prime minister in August, is widely seen as the most popular politician in Russia.

Even so, Yeltsin's announcement is likely to throw Russia into yet another political crisis as parties scramble to prepare for the presidential election.

Under the Russian constitution, presidential elections must be held within 90 days of the president's resignation.

Yeltsin's move appeared timed to capitalize on the success of pro-Kremlin, centrist parties in recent parliamentary elections. Parties backing Putin scored unexpectedly well, adding to the drive to put him into the Kremlin as Yeltsin's successor.

Yeltsin's popularity had dimmed

Yeltsin has presided over Russia through eight tumultuous, often chaotic, years. His attempts to build a market economy were deeply flawed by alleged corruption and incompetence, and he became widely disliked by most Russians.

Plagued for years by heart ailments and other health problems, Yeltsin has largely been out of sight during his second term. He spent many weeks sidelined at his country residence outside Moscow and was largely seen as a caretaker president.

But Yeltsin continued to dominate Russian politics, despite his ill health. He easily defeated a Communist-led effort in May to impeach him and had dismissed four prime ministers in the last two years.

Although Yeltsin has been unpopular for years, he won a second term in 1996, easily defeating Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. The majority of Russians decided they would prefer Yeltsin's scandal-tinged administration to any attempt to return to the Soviet past.

In a televised address, Yeltsin said Russia must enter the new millennium with new faces and strong, energetic people

'I want to beg forgiveness'

The Kremlin has been under political attack during the past year amid allegations of corruption, insider dealing and other irregularities. Members of the president's family, particularly his daughter Tatyana Dyachenko, have been linked to the allegations, but investigations had yielded no charges.

Yeltsin appealed to Russians to forgive him for what he said had been the errors of his administration. It was a highly unusual admission from a leader who rarely admitted mistakes and always insisted that his policies were correct.

"I want to beg forgiveness for your dreams that never came true. And also I would like to beg forgiveness not to have justified your hopes," he said.

Yeltsin said he saw no point in staying in power for the last six months of his term because Putin was well-suited to take over. Yeltsin said he was confident that Russia would not return to its authoritarian past and would develop as a modern democratic nation.

"I shouldn't be in the way of the natural course of history. To cling to power for another six months when the country has a strong person worthy of becoming president -- why should I stand in his way? Why should I wait? It's not in my character," Yeltsin said.

Putin's plans

Putin immediately canceled a trip to St. Petersburg on Friday. There was no word on any changes in the government.

Putin's strong handling of the war in Chechnya and no-nonsense manner appeal to many Russians, who want strong leadership to tackle their country's enormous economic, political and social problems.

Russia has experienced years of economic decline, and millions live in poverty. Efforts to build a market economy have had little effect on most people's lives and millions of pensioners and workers go months without being paid.

Putin, who had already declared that he would run for president, told CNN on Thursday that he would continue Yeltsin's democratic and free market policies.

"I'm absolutely convinced that if we abide by the principles that have become the cornerstone of our development -- a liberal economy, free market, human rights, respect for our neighbors and respect for our partners all over the world, then Russia will be able to occupy a prominent place in the future community of nations," Putin said.

He also talked of the need for strong government to crush widespread lawlessness and corruption. "We don't need a weakened government but a strong government that would take responsibility for the rights of the individual and care for the society as a whole," Putin said.

Such goals should not alarm the West, he said. "Russia has only one ambition, to enjoy respect from other nations. And we will surely achieve that. I think that everyone is interested in that, including our partners in the West, because the world has to be well-balanced."

Moscow Bureau Chief Eileen O'Connor, Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre, Correspondent Siobhan Darrow and The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report; written by Jim Morris.

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