From: Fred Weir in Moscow
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1998 13:06:12 (MSK)
For the Hindustan Times
MOSCOW (HT Sept 2) -- Russia's political crisis sharpened
Wednesday as the opposition-led parliament scheduled an early
second vote on President Boris Yeltsin's prime minister -- a vote
most analysts say is likely to result in another defeat for the
candidate, Viktor Chernomyrdin.
"It seems certain that Chernomyrdin will be rejected again,"
says Viktor Kuvaldin, a political expert with the Gorbachev
Foundation in Moscow. "There is a strong possibility that this
crisis can spin out of control and engulf the country in chaos."
The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament,
announced Wednesday that it will review Mr. Chernomyrdin's
candidacy again on Friday, just five days after decisively
rejecting him in the first round of voting.
Mr. Yeltsin immediately re-submitted Mr. Chernomyrdin's name
to the Duma. "This is my nomination and I will insist on it," he
said.
According to Russia's Constitution, if the Duma rejects the
President's choice three times, the Kremlin may dissolve
parliament, declare new elections, and appoint a prime minister
by decree.
But unlike past confrontations, when lawmakers backed down
under stern pressure from Mr. Yeltsin, there are indications that
this time the Duma may be willing to reject Mr. Chernomyrdin
three times and face the consequences.
"Chernomyrdin is the wrong man for Russia, he cannot be
given the reins of power," said Marina Mitkina, spokesperson for
the liberal Yabloko party, which joined Communists in voting Mr.
Chernomyrdin down last Monday.
"It is a matter of principle. And we believe this time the
majority of Duma deputies feel the same way. Chernomyrdin will
never be confirmed as prime minister."
Some analysts say Mr. Yeltsin could blink before the third
round and suggest a candidate who would be more palatable to the
Duma than Mr. Chernomyrdin, who was prime minister for five years
and who is blamed for creating the country's present mess.
"Someone like Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, or the Speaker of
the upper house of parliament, Yegor Stroyev, would bring the
Communists around," says Mr. Kuvaldin. "But we must remember, it
is not in Yeltsin's character to compromise. We could be headed
for the worst scenario."
Mr. Yeltsin has urged parliament to quickly approve Mr.
Chernomyrdin, lest Russia be left without a legitimate government
in the midst of its deepest economic crisis of the post-Soviet
period.
"Every day lost is many, many millions in losses," Mr.
Yeltsin said. "It is a day lost to the country, a day lost to the
people. It is important to know this."
In a similar drama last Spring Mr. Yeltsin compelled
parliamentarians to endorse former Prime Minister Sergei
Kiriyenko on the third round, but only after a long and bruising
political battle.
The Communists, who control almost half the Duma votes, say
they will only accept Mr. Chernomyrdin if the President
surrenders key constitutional powers to parliament -- something
Mr. Yeltsin has refused to do.
Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov has been talking tougher
than ever before, a possible sign that his party is ready for the
final confrontation with the Kremlin.
"Yeltsin has taken to drink and fallen apart. He is mocking
the country, common sense, and all of us," by insisting on Mr.
Chernomyrdin's candidacy, Mr. Zyuganov said Tuesday.
Some Communist deputies say they do not fear Duma
dissolution and new elections -- because the opposition is almost
certain to be returned with an even bigger majority.
But Mr. Zyuganov warned that Russia's fragile parliamentary
system could crumble if the present crisis gets out of hand. "The
President is pushing the country toward civil war," he said.
"It isn't a question of Duma dissolution, but of this
bankrupt government embarking on the dissolution of the Russian
Federation. They cannot run Russia without the Duma."
Mr. Yeltsin was hosting U.S. President Bill Clinton for the
second of a two-day summit Wednesday. The Kremlin press office
said the two leaders had discussed economic issues, but ruled out
the possibility of any new American loans to help rescue Russia's
floundering public finances.
Acting Prime Minister Chernomyrdin, who was busy putting
together a new cabinet and trying to formulate anti-crisis
policies, said Russia's economic condition is dire and a long
struggle with the Duma could push the country into chaos.
"We have used up our allowance for mistakes," Mr.
Chernomyrdin said. "We are walking along a narrow plank. A step
to the right, a step to the left -- and it's all over."
--
Gregory Schwartz
Dept. of Political Science
York University
4700 Keele St.
Toronto, Ontario
M3J 1P3
Canada
Tel: (416) 736-5265
Fax: (416) 736-5686
Web: http://www.yorku.ca/dept/polisci
