MOSCOW: Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, a rising star of opposition politics, can get a seat in the new government, according to president-elect Vladimir Putin.
Prokhorov "is a serious man and a good entrepreneur, and he could, in principle, be useful in the new cabinet if he wants it", Putin said.
But the matter still needs to be talked over with outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev, he said.
The two will discuss the line-up of the new cabinet in the next couple of days, Putin added.
Prokhorov ran against Putin on a liberal platform and won 7.9 percent of the vote, compared to Putin's 63.6 percent. He appeared at an anti-Putin rally after the polls, pledging not to give up on politics and establish his own political party.