By Guy Faulconbridge
MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin agreed onTuesday to lead Russia's biggest political party, a move thatwill bolster his power after he steps down as Kremlin leadernext month.
"I accept the invitation of the party. I am ready to takeon myself the additional responsibility and head the party,"Putin told cheering delegates at a United Russia congress inMoscow.
Putin has already said he will serve as prime minister oncehis protege, Dmitry Medvedev, is sworn in as president on May7.
The premier is subservient to the president in Russia andhistorically has been occupied by politically weak technocratsbut the post of party leader will now give Putin extra clout.
United Russia won 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma(lower house of parliament) last December, meaning the partyhas a two-thirds majority. This is enough to change theconstitution or to start impeachment proceedings against thepresident.
"Putin does not want to be what we call a technical primeminister in Russia, a person who can be removed in 30 secondsif the president wishes to do so; he wants to be a primeminister with his own power base," Alexei Pushkov, a professorof international relations and a journalist, told Reuters.
"Basically, Medvedev will not be able to rule withoutPutin's agreement."
Putin took the newly created job of party chairman for fouryears, giving him guaranteed control of the Duma for the sameperiod.
Underlining the extent to which United Russia acts onKremlin orders, the new post was created specially for Putinand approved unanimously on a show of hands the previous day.Putin attended the party congress with Medvedev for less thanan hour.
Medvedev told delegates that it would be "premature" forhim to join United Russia, arguing it was better at this pointto remain a non-party figure.
The two men enjoy a close personal relationship, forgedover nearly two decades of working together, but diplomats havequestioned whether they will be able to stop their respectiveteams of officials from indulging in turf wars.
From the tsars through Communist times, Russia has longbeen accustomed to a single, all-powerful leader and manyanalysts here doubt whether a double-headed system ofgovernment can function effectively.
Opinions differ about whether Putin's motive in taking thepremier's job and the party leadership is to shore up Medvedev-- a 42-year-old lawyer who has never held elected office andis viewed with disdain by Kremlin hardliners -- or to controlhim.
Sergei Markov, a political analyst and United Russia memberof parliament, told reporters at the congress:
"It (the appointment as party chairman) strengthens Putin'spolitical weight as national leader. Dmitry AnatolyevichMedvedev is leader of the state and of the Russian Federation,but the political leader of the country remains Putin."
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Denis Dyomkin, Writingby Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Stott; Editing by RichardBalmforth)
