Russian President Boris Yeltsin, right, greets new Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin at the Kremlin in Moscow RELATED VIDEO CNN's Mike Hanna has Stepashin's comments Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K  MESSAGE BOARD: Post your opinion on Russia's future  PROFILE:

May 19, 1999
Web posted at: 3:53 p.m. EDT (1953 GMT)

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russian President Boris Yeltsin met for two hours Wednesday with his new prime minister after the Russian Duma took just 27 seconds to confirm Sergei Stepashin's nomination.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Yakushkin described Yeltsin as satisfied with Stepashin's approval, although "there was no elation, or feeling of a quick victory."

He said Yeltsin greeted the new premier with an enthusiastic bearhug before the two got down to discussions about the new administration.

Stepashin, a loyal ally of Yeltsin, was said to be pleased with the quick confirmation.

The 47-year-old former interior minister and head of the national police force sailed through approval, winning confirmation by a 301-55 margin. Fourteen members abstained.

The margin was almost unthinkable last week when Yeltsin -- without warning -- fired Stepashin's predecessor, Yevgeny Primakov, just a day before the opposition-controlled Duma was to begin impeachment hearings.

But the Duma could not muster enough votes on any of five charges to impeach the president, and meekly voted in favor of Stepashin amid rumors that if they didn't accept him, Yeltsin would choose a nominee that they would find truly unacceptable.

Before the vote, Stepashin stepped forward to assure the parliament of its future.

"We have no plans to resort to emergency measures," he said. "Some already have created a stereotype about me, like a general has come to power, a strongman, Russia is on the verge of dictatorship and sometimes I'm even compared to (former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto) Pinochet. No, I'm not General Pinochet. My name is Stepashin."

Stepashin -- Russia's fourth prime minister in a little over 14 months -- vowed to institute tough measures to bolster the economy and fight crime. Russia needs to follow through on its commitments to the International Monetary Fund, he said, but he promised not to do so at the expense of the average Russian.

"First, stability in the economy means stability in the society," he said. "Second, the government exists for the people not the other way around."

Stepashin must now name a Cabinet, a task he will have to carry out with Yeltsin's approval. Communists in the Duma warned they will object if Stepashin attempts to name liberal reformers to ministerial positions, but the legislature has no official say in those appointments.

A spokesman for Yeltsin said the first appointments would be announced this week.

The vote put at least a temporary calm over Russia's troubled political scene, but few believe the crises are over.

"We are going from one crisis to another crisis," said political analyst Andranik Migranyan. "And crises are becoming deeper, longer and more often."

Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty and Correspondent Mike Hanna contributed to this report.

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