[PEN-L:1312] Russia: Todays News Highlights

[Gregory Schwartz <grishas@xxxxxxxx>]

Here are some highlights of today's news from Russia.

In Sol,
Greg.

****
RUSSIA

KREMLIN PREPARING FOR YELTSIN'S DEPARTURE? "Kommersant-
Daily" on 27 August argued that the presidential staff
no longer pretends that "everything is fine." They
expect acting Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin "not
only to overcome the financial crisis but also to secure
guarantees from the [State] Duma if President [Boris
Yeltsin] wants to resign." A "high-ranking" source told
the newspaper that the Kremlin is seeking a special law
that would provide for the president's financial and
physical well-being in retirement. The newspaper adds
that now "Yeltsin will share any powers with
Chernomyrdin." In March, one of the reasons Yeltsin
reportedly dismissed Chernomyrdin was because he
conducted talks with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma
as an equal. However, on 26 August, Chernomyrdin flew to
Crimea with Yeltsin's full approval to meet with the
Belarusian and Ukrainian heads of state. JAC

RUMORS ABOUT YELTSIN SPREAD. Presidential spokesman
Sergei Yastrzhembskii on 27 August insisted that there
is no truth to a CBS news report that President Yeltsin
has written but not yet signed his resignation.
Yastrzhembskii said "I would like to calm the Russian
public and the Russian and foreign media: There is no
talk of, nor can there be any talk of, any resignation
by the president." The same day, "Nezavisimaya gazeta"
quoted a "high-ranking staffer close to presidential
circles" who said that sometime in October or November
the Kremlin will create "a fitting excuse for Yeltsin's
departure from political life." The newspaper suggests
that Yeltsin will resign only after his chosen
successor, Chernomyrdin, has been confirmed as prime
minister. JAC

DUMA ATTEMPTS POWER GRAB... The first draft of the
political agreement crafted by the Duma commission and
to be approved by a tripartite commission composed of
members of both legislative chambers and the
administration envisions a significant transfer of power
from the executive to the legislature. According to
"Russkii telegraf" on 27 August, the Duma wins the right
to approve the appointment not only of the prime
minister but also of his deputies and key ministers. And
it would be able to hold a no-confidence vote on
individual ministers and not just on the government as a
whole. In exchange for these broader powers, the Duma
promises to freeze the impeachment process, to refrain
from holding a no confidence vote in the government for
at least three months, and to review and pass
legislation in a speedy manner. JAC

....AND CONSTITUTION-TINKERING. Enacting the Duma's
version of the political agreement would require
revising the Russian Constitution because the agreement
significantly enhances the powers of the legislature.
And at least some Duma factions apparently do not mind
having their enhanced powers enshrined in the
constitution. On 27 August, Aleksandr Shokhin, head of
the Our Home is Russia faction, told reporters that it
is "necessary to start the process of making amendments
to the Russian Constitution by convening a
constitutional conference." JAC

ADMINISTRATION BALKS AT DUMA PROPOSALS. The
administration's initial reaction to the Duma's version
of the political agreement was extremely negative.
According to ITAR-TASS on 27 August, presidential
spokesman Yastrzhembskii said that diluting the
president's powers in favor of the Duma and Federation
Council is "clearly asking too much." Communist Party
chief Gennadii Zyuganov declared that his faction does
not like the document either, but for a very different
reason. In his opinion, the agreement should not
preclude impeachment. It also should include some kind
of law on the media, requiring "councils of observers"
at all major publications that would encourage the
dissemination of honest and correct information.
Similarly, Nikolai Ryzhkov, leader of the Power to the
People faction, thinks the agreement is flawed since it
has no guarantee that the Duma would confirm eight
ministers and heads of central departments, according to
Russian Public Television. JAC

--
Gregory Schwartz
Dept. of Political Science
York University
4700 Keele St.
Toronto, Ontario
M3J 1P3
Canada

Tel: (416) 736-5265
Fax: (416) 736-5686
Web: http://www.yorku.ca/dept/polisci