DATE=1/5/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / POLITICS (L)
NUMBER=2-257804
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Russia's upper house of parliament has
determined that early presidential elections will be
held March 26th. Moscow Correspondent Eve Conant
reports election officials say the presidential
election campaign is about to begin officially.
TEXT: Russia's Upper House of Parliament has voted
overwhelmingly to set March 26th as the date for early
presidential elections. Acting President Vladimir
Putin met with leading lawmakers, several of them
potential candidates, before Wednesday's vote. He
told them that free and fair elections would help
stabilize Russia.
/// ACT PUTIN IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE UNDER. ///
He says -- everyone has agreed that we must conduct
these elections within the boundaries of the law. Mr.
Putin says -- if the elections are clean then Russian
society will be united - this is our most important
task.
The resignation of President Boris Yeltsin on December
31st shocked most Russians, but also increased the
chances for Mr. Putin to succeed in the March
elections. The Prime Minister is extremely popular
for spearheading Moscow's military offensive in
Chechnya. He is viewed as a no-nonsense politician
who can help the economy and fight corruption.
/// OPT /// Before Mr. Yeltsin resigned, he signed a
new law governing early presidential elections. The
law has several points, including that candidates must
declare their income and holdings and whether they
have been convicted of a crime. /// END OPT ///
The head of Russia's Central Election Commission,
Alexander Veshnyakov, says that naming March 26th as
the election date means that the election season is
about to begin.
/// ACT VESHNYAKOV, RUSSIAN, IN FULL AND FADE. ///
He says -- Thursday is the official start of the early
presidential race, it is important to organize quickly
because the candidates have much less time than usual
to campaign.
Opposition parties, who just a few-weeks ago contested
for seats in Russia's parliament, are now scrambling
to organize their candidates and their platforms with
less then three-months to go before the presidential
vote.
Acting President Putin says he does not plan to
campaign, but will go on serving in his post. He is
expected to be supported by the Kremlin, as well as
state-run media outlets.
Mr. Putin told a television interviewer Tuesday that
Boris Yeltsin resigned early in order to give him what
he called -- a head start in the presidential
campaign. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/GE/RAE
05-Jan-2000 10:28 AM EDT (05-Jan-2000 1528 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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