Parliament OKs Putin's premier

Parliament overwhelmingly approved President Vladimir V. Putin's choice for prime minister, and the Russian leader said the previously obscure official was among at least five people who could hope to succeed him.

Viktor Zubkov, a Putin loyalist who ran Russia's anti-money-laundering office for six years, was nominated in a surprise move by Putin.

By dismissing former Premier Mikhail Y. Fradkov and announcing his choice for the post, Putin, who is barred from seeking a third term as president, apparently intended to show the country, particularly Kremlin factions jockeying for position before the March presidential vote, that he will continue calling the shots.