DATE=5/16/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43417
TITLE=RUSSIA / POLITICS
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN HAS SURVIVED AN
IMPEACHMENT ATTEMPT, BUT -- AS V-O-A'S EVE CONANT REPORTS FROM
MOSCOW -- MORE CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD IN RUSSIA'S POLITICAL SCENE.
TEXT: PRESIDENT YELTSIN HAS PROVEN ONCE AGAIN HE IS DIFFICULT
MAN TO DEFEAT. DESPITE RECORD-LOW POPULARITY RATINGS AND A
HISTORY OF SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS, THE 68-YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN
LEADER REMAINS A POLITICAL FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.
BUT MANY RUSSIANS SAY THEY WORRY ABOUT THE FATE OF THEIR COUNTRY
AS THE PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT OCCUPY THEMSELVES WITH POLITICS,
NOT POLICY. RUSSIA'S ECONOMY CONTINUES TO FOUNDER AS THE
POLITICAL DRAMA RAGES. THE LATEST IMPEACHMENT CRISIS MAY HAVE
LED TO A HALT IN LOANS FROM SOME WESTERN LENDERS AND HAS
CERTAINLY LED TO A LOSS OF AN ALREADY-MINIMAL INVESTOR
CONFIDENCE.
SOON AFTER THE RESULTS OF SATURDAY'S FAILED IMPEACHMENT VOTE WERE
ANNOUNCED, A SEEMINGLY-UNFAZED PRESIDENT YELTSIN SUBMITTED TO
LAWMAKERS HIS CONTROVERSIAL NEW CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER,
SERGEI STEPASHIN. ANALYSTS SAY THE TIMING JUST FURTHER
UNDERSCORED HOW FULLY PARLIAMENT HAD BEEN HUMILIATED BY THE VOTE.
ACTING PRIME MINISTER STEPASHIN IS ALREADY MEETING WITH
PARLIAMENT AND OTHER GOVERNMENT LEADERS TO DISCUSS HIS PLANS FOR
FORMING A NEW CABINET. LAWMAKERS WILL CONSIDER HIS CANDIDACY
NEXT WEDNESDAY.
AFTER SATURDAY'S VOTE MR. STEPASHIN TOLD A TELEVISION INTERVIEWER
THE PRESIDENT AND LAWMAKERS ARE NOW FREE TO GET BACK TO SERIOUS
WORK.
///ACT STEPASHIN IN RUSSIAN AND FADE UNDER///
HE SAYS: THIS POTENTIAL POLITICAL CRISIS IS OVER, THANK GOD.
BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT WILL HAVE MORE TIME TO DEVOTE
TO CURRENT PROBLEMS.
BUT FOR THOSE POLITICIANS OUTSIDE THE KREMLIN HIERARCHY, THE
FAILED IMPEACHMENT VOTE SIMPLY EMPHASIZES A DANGEROUS IMBALANCE
OF POWER. LEADING LIBERAL POLITICIAN GRIGORY YAVLINSKY CONDEMNS
THE COMMUNISTS, BUT TOLD THEM DURING AN IMPEACHMENT DEBATE THAT
HE SHARES ONE THING IN COMMON WITH THEM.
///ACT YAVLINSKY IN RUSSIAN AND FADE UNDER///
HE SAYS: AS FAR AS MR. YELTSIN IS CONCERNED WE ARE ALL TRASH. WE
ARE SIMPLY BUILDING MATERIAL FOR HIS LIMITLESS POWER.
IF EVEN ONE OF THE FIVE IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AGAINST THE RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT HAD BEEN APPROVED, MR. YELTSIN WOULD HAVE TEMPORARILY
LOST HIS STRONGEST POLITICAL WEAPON, THE RIGHT TO DISSOLVE
PARLIAMENT.
AIDES SAY, WHEN RESULTS OF THE FAILED VOTE CAME IN, PRESIDENT
YELTSIN RESPONDED TO THE GOOD NEWS CALMLY. HE ALSO URGED
LAWMAKERS TO CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR REGULAR DUTIES. ONE OF THOSE
DUTIES IS THE UPCOMING VOTE TO CONFIRM OR REJECT THE CANDIDACY OF
SERGEI STEPASHIN FOR PRIME MINISTER.
IF THE OPPOSITION-LED PARLIAMENT DOES NOT APPROVE OF MR.
YELTSIN'S CHOICE AFTER THREE VOTES, THEN THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
CAN DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT. HE WOULD THEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO
TEMPORARILY RULE BY DECREE AND APPOINT WHOMEVER HE WANTED, AS
RUSSIA'S NEW PRIME MINISTER. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/DW
16-May-99 7:50 AM EDT (1150 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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