DATE=5/13/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249315
TITLE=RUSSIA / POLITICS (L)
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE COMMUNIST-DOMINATED LOWER HOUSE OF RUSSIA'S
PARLIAMENT, THE DUMA, HAS BEGUN THREE-DAYS OF DEBATE ON WHETHER
TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT EVE
CONANT IN MOSCOW REPORTS CHARGES AGAINST MR. YELTSIN RANGE FROM
DESTROYING RUSSIA'S ARMED FORCES TO COMMITTING GENOCIDE AGAINST
THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE.
TEXT: THE DEBATE STARTED WITH THE HEAD OF PARLIAMENT'S
IMPEACHMENT COMMISSION, VADIM FILIMONOV, ACCUSING PRESIDENT
YELTSIN OF DESTROYING THE SOVIET UNION.
/// FILIMONOV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
THE LAWMAKER SAYS THE IMPEACHMENT COMMISSION FOUND SEVERAL
GROUNDS FOR BRINGING TREASON CHARGES IN PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S
ACTIVITIES.
MR. FILIMONOV SAYS MR. YELTSIN INFLICTED WHAT HE CALLS "HUGE
DAMAGE TO THE EXTERNAL SECURITY OF RUSSIA" WHEN HE SIGNED A
DOCUMENT IN 1991 WHICH DECLARED THE SOVIET UNION DEFUNCT. HE
SAYS THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION LED TO NATO'S EXPANSION AND
ATTACKS ON IRAQ AND YUGOSLAVIA.
THE LAWMAKER ALSO CHARGES THAT PRESIDENT YELTSIN ILLEGALLY USED
FORCE TO CRUSH A REBELLION OF HARDLINE LAWMAKERS WHEN THEY
REFUSED TO LET PARLIAMENT BE DISSOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT IN 1993.
/// FILIMONOV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
MR. FILIMONOV SAYS THE COMMISSION ALSO IS CHARGING THE PRESIDENT
WITH PREMEDITATED MURDER AND WITH EXCEEDING HIS AUTHORIZED
POWERS.
THERE ARE THREE OTHER CHARGES AGAINST PRESIDENT YELTSIN -- THAT
HE ILLEGALLY WAGED WAR AGAINST THE BREAKAWAY REGION OF CHECHNYA
IN 1994, THAT HE DESTROYED RUSSIA'S ARMED FORCES, AND THAT HE
COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE BY LOWERING LIVING
STANDARDS WITH MARKET REFORMS.
PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S REPRESENTATIVE IN THE DEBATE ON THURSDAY SAID
THE FIVE CHARGES HAD NO LEGAL BASIS.
OF THE FIVE COUNTS, ONLY ONE IS THOUGHT LIKELY TO SUCCEED. BOTH
LIBERALS AND HARDLINERS IN THE DUMA SAY THEY OPPOSE PRESIDENT
YELTSIN'S ROLE IN STARTING THE CHECHEN WAR. IN THAT CONFLICT,
TENS OF THOUSANDS WERE KILLED AND RUSSIA'S POORLY EQUIPPED AND
UNDERFED ARMED FORCES WERE HUMILIATED. THE ISSUE OF CHECHNYA'S
INDEPENDENCE WAS NEVER RESOLVED.
ANALYSTS SAY PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S DISMISSAL OF RUSSIA'S POPULAR
PRIME MINISTER ON WEDNESDAY INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE
USUALLY FRACTIOUS PARLIAMENT WILL PUSH AHEAD WITH THE IMPEACHMENT
PROCESS.
/// REST OPT ///
BUT THE TIMING OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S DISMISSAL LEADS TO SEVERAL
PROBLEMS. NOW PRESIDENT YELTSIN MUST GET APPROVAL FROM THE DUMA
FOR HIS NEW CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER. IF THE DUMA DOES NOT
APPROVE HIS CHOICE AFTER THREE VOTES, MR. YELTSIN HAS THE RIGHT
TO DISSOLVE THE BODY. BUT IF HE IS FACING EVEN ONE IMPEACHMENT
CHARGE, HE TECHNICALLY LOSES THE RIGHT TO DISBAND PARLIAMENT.
THE RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION IS VAGUE ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN UNDER
THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF THE DUMA VOTES FOR IMPEACHMENT, CHARGES MUST THEN BE EXAMINED
BY TWO OF RUSSIA'S HIGHEST COURTS, AND THEN APPROVED BY RUSSIA'S
UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT -- WHICH IS CONSIDERED UNLIKELY.
EARLY THURSDAY PROTESTORS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE PARLIAMENT
BUILDING TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. ABOUT 500 COMMUNIST
DEMONSTRATORS WAVING RED FLAGS CALLED FOR PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S
REMOVAL. A SMALLER GROUP OF PRO-YELTSIN SUPPORTERS RALLIED ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/JWH
13-May-99 8:14 AM EDT (1214 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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