NAZDRATENKO CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS.

The embattled governor of Primorsky krai, Yevgeny Nazdratenko, has urged the regional legislature to call early elections for his own post and that of his arch-rival, Vladivostok mayor Viktor Cherepkov. The Russian government and President Boris Yeltsin personally have expressed support for fresh elections as a way out of the region’s political crisis. The regional Duma has agreed to consider Nazdratenko’s request at its next session in July, but it will not be easy for the Duma to act: under local legislation, fresh elections can be called only if the governor is dismissed or resigns. Nazdratenko has no intention of resigning and he has not been dismissed, though President Yeltsin’s staff has threatened that this may be the president’s next step. A further complicating factor is Nazdratenko’s determination to run for reelection. The Yeltsin administration, which is seeking to make an example of Nazdratenko in order to instill obedience in other regional leaders, will not want to take the risk of his being reelected to office. Mayor Cherepkov has also warned that fresh elections could yield unwanted results: he opposes the proposal on the grounds that a Communist is likely to be elected mayor of Vladivostok in his place. (RTR, June 17)

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