Russia`s Duma Votes to Confirm Kiriyenko as PM

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia`s State Duma lower house of parliament voted on Friday to approve Sergei Kiriyenko as prime minister, ending a month-long government crisis. The balloting commission announced after a secret vote that 251 deputies out of 276 of those who took part had backed President Boris Yeltsin`s nominee. It said 25 deputies voted against the 35-year-old technocrat. Kiriyenko, facing his third confirmation hearing, needed 226 votes to be approved. Kiriyenko, who had addressed deputies and then sat nervously through the debate, entered the chamber shortly after the result was announced and made a brief speech. "Today`s voting showed that neither you nor we want great upheavals and that both you and we need a Russia that is great," he told the chamber, paraphrasing a well-known statement by early 20th century reformist prime minister Pyotr Stalypin. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, who had steadfastly opposed Kiriyenko`s nomination, sat grim-faced in the chamber as Kiriyenko spoke. Duma speaker Gennady Seleznyov closed the session, saying deputies would reconvene on May 13. The balloting commission said 39 deputies took voting papers but did not cast them.