Moscow, July 11 (RFE/RL) -- Russian President Boris Yeltsin has formally given his National Security Adviser and Security Council Secretary the authority to advise him on defense and security issues.
But Yeltsin's decree on the issue, signed yesterday and made public today by Russian news agencies, does not say that Aleksandr Lebed will have in his new capacity control in the economic and social spheres.
Lebed, who played a key role in Yeltsin's presidential election victory earlier this month, has sought authority over economic and social issues, along with control of the army and police.
Under Yeltsin's decree, the Security Council's functions include identifying foreign and domestic threats, developing security strategies, and advising the president on them.
Lebed will have the right to control the day to day business of the Council and advise the president on security matters. But he will not have any actual decision-making powers.
The Security Council is composed of top officials including the Prime Minister, the Defense and Interior ministers, and the Foreign Intelligence and Security chiefs. Yeltsin is the Council's chairman.
In a separate decree published today, Yeltsin ordered new crime-fighting measures for Moscow, including the deployment of 10,000 more police officers next year. Lebed is named as the official responsible for the plan's implementation. The decree also calls for the suspension of officials linked to corruption or organized crime.
But Yeltsin's decree on the issue, signed yesterday and made public today by Russian news agencies, does not say that Aleksandr Lebed will have in his new capacity control in the economic and social spheres.
Lebed, who played a key role in Yeltsin's presidential election victory earlier this month, has sought authority over economic and social issues, along with control of the army and police.
Under Yeltsin's decree, the Security Council's functions include identifying foreign and domestic threats, developing security strategies, and advising the president on them.
Lebed will have the right to control the day to day business of the Council and advise the president on security matters. But he will not have any actual decision-making powers.
The Security Council is composed of top officials including the Prime Minister, the Defense and Interior ministers, and the Foreign Intelligence and Security chiefs. Yeltsin is the Council's chairman.
In a separate decree published today, Yeltsin ordered new crime-fighting measures for Moscow, including the deployment of 10,000 more police officers next year. Lebed is named as the official responsible for the plan's implementation. The decree also calls for the suspension of officials linked to corruption or organized crime.