Medvedev inaugurated as Russian president

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Despite Medvedev's vows to protect democracy, anti-government demonstrations were prohibited, broken up or harassed by police both before and after his election. Police detained dozens of anti-Kremlin protesters Tuesday as they tried to stage a rally.

State-owned Channel One produced elaborate coverage of Wednesday's event, broadcasting sweeping aerial shots of the Kremlin's crenelated walls, its cluster of gilded onion domes and cloistered courtyards, where ranks of blue-uniformed soldiers waited for the arrival of Medvedev.

Television viewers watched a black Mercedes Pullman limousine carrying Medvedev through the deserted streets of the city center evidence of the high level of security surrounding the inauguration.

The president-elect was driven along the banks of the Moscow River, up into Red Square and through the Kremlin's Spassky Gate, with its famous clock tower facing St. Basil's Cathedral.

Later, the crowded czarist-era Andreyevsky Hall, with its huge doors and intricate chandeliers, shimmered with gold leaf and bright television lights as Medvedev was sworn in.

Under the Russian Constitution, the presidency has sweeping powers. But the powers of the prime minister's office are elastic, and Putin appears poised to expand them.

The new premier will have increased authority over governors and regional leaders. According to Russian press reports, Putin will have 11 deputies compared to the five who served his predecessor, Viktor Zubkov.

In addition, many analysts expect Medvedev to defer to Putin, his longtime mentor, on important decisions at least during Medvedev's first few months in office.

Putin has vowed to remain prime minister as long as he is needed in the post. There is speculation he sees the job as a transitional post, with some predicting he will someday return to the presidency and others expecting him to retire from politics.

Several times, Putin loyalists pleaded with him to support a change in the constitution that would permit him to remain president. But he rejected those entreaties, saying he would respect the constitution he inherited.

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