Boris Yeltsin  (File Photo)

By Vladimir Isachenkov
Associated Press Writer
Friday, March 27, 1998; 8:28 a.m. EST

MOSCOW (AP) -- Boris Yeltsin nominated acting Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko to take over the post permanently and warned today he would disband parliament if legislators fail to approve his choice.

``I'm not trying to scare you,'' Yeltsin said in remarks directed at the opposition-dominated parliament. ``I simply tell you as the president -- save time. Make a fast approval.''

Gennady Seleznyov, a Communist who is speaker of the Duma, criticized the president's heavy-handed approach, but said parliament would probably endorse Yeltsin's candidate. A Duma vote tentatively was planned for April 3.

If the Duma rejects Yeltsin's candidates for prime minister three times, then the president must disband the Duma and call new parliamentary elections.

``Don't make another round of confrontation,'' Yeltsin warned the Duma, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. ``I will show no leniency.''

Yeltsin said he supported Kiriyenko's plans to speed up and broaden free-market reforms, which have been hindered by massive government inefficiency and corruption.

``The plans are serious. That is what we need -- to shake up reforms. The reforms have slowed down a little bit,'' he said.

Yeltsin stunned the country Monday by dismissing longtime Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin and the entire Cabinet without warning. He complained that reform efforts were in danger because many Russians had failed to see any improvements after years of economic and social decline.

In a radio address today, the president hailed Kiriyenko as a skilled professional who could work with various factions. The president shrugged off concerns that the 35-year-old Kiriyenko, a former oil company executive whose government experience consists of seven months in the Oil Ministry in the previous administration, was too young for the job.

``Professionalism and energy aren't determined by the date of birth,'' he said. ``The essential thing is that a man knows his job, has fresh ideas and unorthodox approaches and knows how to reach his goals.''

Nevertheless, Kiriyenko is expected to face a tough fight for approval in parliament, which is dominated by Communists and nationalists.

Seleznyov, the Duma speaker, said Yeltsin's threats were unnecessary.

``We don't need such reminders. We know quite well what is written in the constitution,'' he told reporters.

``I regret that the president didn't use the chance to hold consultations with the legislature about the candidate and the course,'' he said. ``The president once again showed that he's an advocate of authoritarian methods.''

Under the Russian constitution, the president nominates a candidate for prime minister, who must then be approved in the Duma by a simple majority. The president can name the same person, or different candidates, but can make only three nominations.

The opposition has already warned that they want the reform policies scaled back.

While the Duma bitterly opposes Yeltsin's free-market policies, most major parties don't want to face new elections because they fear they could lose seats. The current Duma's term lasts until December 1999.

Alexander Shokhin, the leader of the pro-government Our Home Is Russia faction, said the Communists and their allies were likely to approve Yeltsin's candidate, but only on the third and last attempt.

Yeltsin today also signed the 1998 government budget after months of wrangling with the Duma over spending cuts he insisted were critical to restoring the country's economic health.

The president said he plans to cut the number of Cabinet ministers and top aides in his office to streamline the administration and reduce government spending.

He indicated that up to half the existing Cabinet posts could be eliminated, but gave no further details. The government, with some 50 ministers, has long been criticized for being bloated and inefficient.