DATE=7/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / MOGULS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-264885
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
(EDS: MEETING BEGINS APPROX. 13 UTC / 9 AM EDT;
NEWS CONFERENCE BEGINS 15:15 UTC / 11:15 AM EDT.
MOSCOW BUREAU WILL MONITOR AND UPDATE AS
WARRANTED.)
INTRO: Russian President Vladimir Putin is
scheduled to meet with more than 20 of the
country's top businessmen for talks aimed at
easing tensions between the new Kremlin leader
and Russia's politically-connected moguls. Moscow
correspondent Eve Conant reports Mr. Putin and
Russia's Prime Minister are expected to attend
what is being billed as a two-hour meeting with
the businessmen who are protesting a recent
series of tax police raids and criminal
investigations.
TEXT: Russia's influential businessmen, dubbed
the "oligarchs," are known as powerful moguls who
made their fortunes following the collapse of the
Soviet Union. A meeting of about 20 of them with
President Vladimir Putin was called in order for
them to plead their case before the new Russian
leader who vowed while on the campaign trail to
wipe out the oligarchs "as a class."
Since his inauguration in May, President Putin
has distanced himself from many of the powerful
businessmen who were given a free hand to build
their empires during the presidency of Boris
Yeltsin. During the 1990's those businessmen were
given privileges and near-immunity in exchange
for political and financial support.
But with President Putin in charge, the
atmosphere has changed dramatically. In recent
weeks, prosecutors arrested and jailed Vladimir
Gusinsky, who owns Russia's only independent
television network, one that has been critical of
Mr. Putin and Moscow's military campaign in
Chechnya. Charges against Mr. Gusinsky were
dropped, but legal investigations for tax evasion
are underway against the oil company Lukoil, auto
maker Avtovaz and several others. Other cases
involve accusations that privatization deals in
the 1990's were carried out illegally.
Political analyst Dimitry Evstafiev says the
oligarchs want to remain intact as a powerful
class, but that with public opinion behind him,
President Putin will win out in any debate.
/// ESTAFIEV ACT ///
They (the oligarchs) can survive only as a
system. Because if the system is destroyed,
they are just big businessmen like many
others with limited access to the Kremlin,
and what is more important - to the state
budget.
/// END ACT ///
Analyst Evstafiev explains, however, that the
government wants a reverse agreement, where the
oligarchs support the state.
/// EVSTAFIEV SECOND ACT ///
The government and the government factions
want to reach an agreement on the
conditions on which the oligarch's money
will go to industry. That does not produce
common ground for compromise.
/// END ACT ///
Russian newspapers speculated Friday that the
oligarchs were hoping to encourage President
Putin to ask Russia's security services to slow
down the investigations into their businesses.
But most Russian media were skeptical that any
serious deals would be struck. One newspaper
daily wrote that while there might not be any
"reversals of privatization deals," President
Putin will continue to support investigations if
there is enough evidence to begin a criminal
case. (Signed)
NEB/EC/GE/PW
28-Jul-2000 09:05 AM EDT (28-Jul-2000 1305 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
