DATE=5/12/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-249266 TITLE=RUSSIA/POLITICS (L) BYLINE=EVE CONANT DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN HAS SPARKED FEARS OF A NEW POLITICAL CRISIS IN HIS COUNTRY AFTER FIRING THE POPULAR PRIME MINISTER, YEVGENY PRIMAKOV. CORRESPONDENT EVE CONANT REPORTS THE DISMISSAL COMES JUST AS RUSSIA'S COMMUNIST-DOMINATED LOWER PARLIAMENT PREPARES FOR IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS AGAINST MR. YELTSIN. TEXT: PRESIDENT YELTSIN SAYS HE DISMISSED PRIME MINISTER PRIMAKOV FOR FAILING TO COME UP WITH A STRATEGY TO IMPROVE RUSSIA'S ECONOMY, FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF THE RUBLE LAST AUGUST. /// YELTSIN ACT IN RUSSIAN -- ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER /// WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO PUT OFF NECESSARY ECONOMIC DECISIONS, SAYS MR. YELTSIN. DELAY IS THE MOST SERIOUS BLOW TO ECONOMIC STABILITY." MR. YELTSIN SAID PRIME MINISTER PRIMAKOV HAD AVOIDED UNPOPULAR FINANCIAL DECISIONS BECAUSE OF UPCOMING ELECTIONS, AND HAD RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON WESTERN LENDING INSTITUTIONS. ALTHOUGH ECONOMIC REASONS WERE GIVEN FOR THE FIRING, THE DISMISSAL HAS WIDE-RANGING POLITICAL MEANING. ANALYSTS SAY THE DISMISSAL PROVES PRESIDENT YELTSIN IS PREPARED FOR A SHOWDOWN, IF NECESSARY, WITH RUSSIA'S COMMUNIST-DOMINATED PARLIAMENT, WHICH IS PLANNING TO BEGIN IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS AGAINST HIM THURSDAY. MR. PRIMAKOV HAD BEEN CONSIDERED A VITAL LINK BETWEEN PRESIDENT YELTSIN AND OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS. THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER WAS WIDELY RESPECTED BY COMMUNISTS FOR HIS MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD, SOVIET-STYLE ECONOMIC POLICIES. COMMUNIST SPEAKER OF THE PARLIAMENT GENNADY SELEZNYOV ECHOED THE RESPONSE OF MANY LAWMAKERS WEDNESDAY. /// SELEZNYOV ACT IN RUSSIAN -- ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER /// HE SAYS, "I THINK THE PRESIDENT MADE A VERY BIG AND VERY SERIOUS MISTAKE." MR. YELTSIN'S NEW CHOICE FOR THE POST IS INTERIOR MINISTER SERGEY STEPASHIN. MR. STEPASHIN IS A LOYAL SUPPORTER OF MR. YELTSIN WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF RUSSIA'S ARMED FORCES AND HELPED FORMULATE MILITARY POLICY DURING RUSSIA'S CIVIL WAR WITH THE BREAKAWAY REGION OF CHECHNYA IN 1994. /// OPT /// ONE OF THE FIVE CHARGES THE PARLIAMENT IS CONSIDERING AGAINST PRESIDENT YELTSIN IS THAT HE ILLEGALLY WAGED WAR AGAINST CHECHNYA, MAKING THE HAWKISH MR. STEPASHIN AN UNLIKELY CANDIDATE FOR THEIR APPROVAL. THE DISMISSAL HAS SEVERAL POSSIBLE WIDE-REACHING CONSEQUENCES. IT COULD HURT RUSSIA'S NEGOTIATING POSITION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. ONE RUSSIAN ECONOMIC OFFICIAL HAS ALREADY SAID I-M-F NEGOTIATIONS WILL HAVE TO START AGAIN FROM SCRATCH. TRADING WAS TEMPORARILY HALTED ON RUSSIA'S STOCK MARKET WEDNESDAY AFTER IT DROPPED BY 17 PERCENT. NEWS OF THE DISMISSAL COULD ALSO LEAD TO A SERIOUS POLITICAL CRISIS BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT. /// END OPT /// IF PARLIAMENT DOES NOT APPROVE MR. YELTSIN'S CHOICE FOR PRIME MINISTER AFTER THREE VOTES, THE PRESIDENT HAS THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT. BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE THAT SIMPLE, AND WEDNESDAY'S DEVELOPMENTS COULD LEAD TO A CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLOCK. IF LAWMAKERS AGREE ON JUST ONE OF THE FIVE IMPEACHMENT CHARGES, PRESIDENT YELTSIN LOSES TO RIGHT TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT UNTIL THE CONFLICT IS RESOLVED. PRESIDENT YELTSIN WOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT IF RUSSIA'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DISMISSED IMPEACHMENT CHARGES. COMMUNIST LAWMAKER GENNADY SELEZNYOV SAID WEDNESDAY THAT MR. PRIMAKOV'S DISMISSAL GREATLY INCREASES THE CHANCE OF PARLIAMENT VOTING TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT YELTSIN. (SIGNED) NEB/EC/PCF 12-May-99 8:39 AM EDT (1239 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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