Putin Told To Tow Kremlin Line

President Boris Yeltsin promised his new prime minister Vladimir Putin a degree of independence, but warned Tuesday that he should not stray too far from Kremlin policies.

Â"Let's not divide the presidential office and the Cabinet,Â" Yeltsin told Putin, whoÂ's appointment was confirmed Monday by the State Duma. Â"When they were divided, it didn't lead to any good.Â"

Yeltsin -- who has fired four prime ministers in the past 17 months -- told Putin in remarks broadcast on Russian television: Â"A prime minister could only lose, and that is natural.Â"

Meanwhile, one of the premiers dumped by Yeltsin -- Yevgeny Primakov agreed to join a political alliance with Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, a bloc that Yeltsin's administration has sought to thwart.

Luzhkov's Fatherland movement recently united with a powerful group of regional governors, and Primakov's addition makes the coalition even stronger ahead of parliamentary elections in December.

The bloc could serve as the base for a presidential campaign next year by either Primakov or Luzhkov, seen as the strongest potential contenders. Both were coy about any presidential ambitions at a joint news conference Tuesday, saying that they would decide after the parliamentary elections.

Â"I haven't yet made up my mind,Â" Primakov said. Â"Much will depend on whether I would feel that people trust me.Â"

Primakov and Luzhkov both were allies of Yeltsin, but are now at odds with him. Yeltsin's administration sees the alliance as a direct threat to its own political base.

Â"We have felt a powerful pressure aimed at hindering the creation of our bloc,Â" Luzhkov said. Â"We aren't afraid, because we are strong.Â"

Yeltsin hasn't given any reason for firing Putin's predecessor, Sergei Stepashin. But the Russian media has speculated that the president was unhappy with Stepashin's failure to prevent the new political alliance. Putin is expected to take a tougher line against the Kremlin's growing number of political opponents.

The 68-year-old president's approval rating is in the single digits. Meanwhile, Yeltsin has seemed resentful of any Cabinet member who appears too independent or becomes too popular in his own right. He has frequently reshuffled his aides.

Yeltsin, who has never been deeply involved in the day-to-day running of the government, promised Putin some autonomy in decision-making.

Â"We shall work together, respecting each other and having counsel on serious issues,Â" he told Putin during a 30-minute conversation in front of Russian journalists. Â"At the same time, I'm allowing independence. It's not necessary to consult me on small details.Â"

Yeltsin's latest reshuffle has drawn widespread criticism across the political spectrum. Parliament leaders said Yeltsin's unpredictability was undermining efforts to establish political stability and was also damaging the economy.

Nevertheless, parliament's lower house approved Putin on Monday rather than risk a confrontation with the president. If lawmakers reject the president's candidate three times, Yeltsin is required to disband parliament.

The new Cabinet is expected to be almost identical to the old one, and Yeltsin reappointed the foreign, defense, interior and emergency ministers Tuesday.

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