CADRE RESERVE LISTS HAVE LITTLE RELEVANCE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 002984

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON KDEM RS
SUBJECT: CADRE RESERVE LISTS HAVE LITTLE RELEVANCE TO
PERSONNEL DECISIONS

REF: MOSCOW 00508

Classified By: Acting Political Minister Counselor David Kostelancik fo
r reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).



1. (C) Summary: Ten months after its publication, the
presidential cadre reserve list (reftel) and the ongoing
compilation of a United Russia cadre reserve list remain more
of a PR tactic than a systemic attempt to modernize the
bureaucracy or strengthen President Medvedev's control over
it. Despite reports this summer that the presidential and
United Russia lists would be combined and published, no
united list has appeared. Medvedev has not used the
presidential cadre reserve list to weaken Prime Minister
Putin's influence and legacy, or to place his own loyalists
in key positions. Over the long-term, United Russia's cadre
reserve list could prove effective in strengthening the
party's control over government appointments. End Summary.

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Building Cadre Lists
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2. (SBU) In February 2009, the Kremlin published a list of
100 people who it and the White House saw as being ready to
assume higher duties. The list included people whom analysts
viewed as being close to Medvedev, Putin, or both members of
the tandem. It was anticipated in February that the list,
known commonly as the "Golden 100," would soon be expanded to
1000 individuals. Meanwhile, United Russia created a cadre
reserve website where anyone could post information about
themselves and their resumes into a database that the party
could draw from when needed. Duma Speaker and United Russia
Supreme Council Chairman Boris Gryzlov told the press in
November that 22,000 people had participated in the project
and hundreds had been selected.

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Closed Door Disagreement Over Combining Lists
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3. (SBU) Presidential Administration Head Sergey Naryshkin
confirmed to Nezavisimaya Gazeta in June that the list of
1000 was complete and would be ready for publication in the
near future, but the Kremlin has yet to publish an updated
list. Nezavisimaya Gazeta surmised this summer that a
disagreement over the inclusion of United Russia-sponsored
candidates within the expanded "Golden 1000" had delayed the
publication of the list.


4. (SBU) Since December, the President and United Russia have
selected people for new assignments within the bureaucracy
who also happen to be on their respective lists. On December
7, Maksim Sokolov, who was on the original "Golden 100" list,
was selected as the new Director of the Government's Industry
and Infrastructure Department. Vedomosti reported the same
week that United Russia selected, and the government
approved, a group of people from its cadre reserve list to
assist the management of the struggling car production firm
AvtoVaz. Additionally, several other names included in the
President's list, such as Volgograd region Deputy Governor
Anatoliy Brovko, have been considered for new positions over
the last few months.

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Experts Dismiss Lists' Relevance
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5. (C) Experts told us that they saw little usefulness in
the presidential list and that most people were included in
the "Golden 100" because of previous connections to powerful
elites. Director of the Center for Political Information
Aleksey Mukhin told us that over the last ten months the
lists had proven meaningless. Regional elites had hoped that
being on either list would help them obtain a better position
on the regional or federal level, but Governors maintained
their own lists, which did not always coincide with the
President's or United Russia's list. President of the
Institute of National Strategies Mikhail Remizov, who had
spoken with those charged with creating the presidential and
United Russia lists, said that while all branches of
government were in need of experienced people, the
presidential list was little more than a PR effort. He added
that the purpose and criteria for being included on the
United Russia list was obscure, and that United Russia
accepted "almost everyone under 40" onto its list. Tatyana
Stanovaya of the Center of Political Technologies agreed that
the lists were almost meaningless. She said that many of

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those on the president's list either bought their place, or
were selected for their political loyalties rather then their
qualifications. Stanovaya added, however, that being on the
list was the feather-in-the-cap that provided political cover
for regional elites.

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Comment
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6. (C) The "Golden 100" has not lived up to the most
optimistic appraisals as a Medvedev-driven, bureaucratic
reform. The list does not appear to have given Medvedev more
control over senior appointments and has not expanded to
1000, probably because of ongoing disagreements between
Kremlin and White House teams over its composition and use.
Those chosen for senior assignments are chosen because of
other criteria and not because of their standing on the
"Golden 100" list.


7. (C) As the party of power, being included on the United
Russia list could become--given some changes in the party's
use of the list--a well-trodden path for entering government
service, giving United Russia more say over who serves the
state. Gryzlov, emphasizing the universality of the list,
mentioned in November that only around half of those accepted
onto the United Russia list were members or supporters of
United Russia.
Beyrle