YELTSIN.

President Yeltsin dismissed the first election results reported today, saying it was still too early to predict the final outcome. When casting his vote yesterday, Yeltsin told journalists that "No circumstances could force me to abandon the course of reforms I have chosen." Asked whether it would be possible to restore communism in Russia, Yeltsin said: "No, and once more no." As for the future cabinet, the president said, "the government composition should take account of the distribution of forces in the new Duma. As for Chernomyrdin, he and I will exchange opinions, and may settle the problem in some other way in the interests of Russia. But I expect Chernomyrdin to head the new government." Chernomyrdin, for his part, affirmed that he would not step down and found nothing to fear from a communist electoral success. (5)

Yeltsin met today with chief aide Viktor Ilyushin and Federation Council chairman Vladimir Shumeiko to discuss the preliminary elections results. Tomorrow he will be meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. The president’s press secretary, Sergei Medvedev, told reporters that Yeltsin was extremely pleased that such a high percentage of voters – 65 percent — turned out at the polls. Credit for that is due to Yeltsin’s widely publicized appeal to voters last week to do their civic duty, according to Medvedev, who added that the president will not have a statement to make on the election until all results from the party list and single-mandate voting are in. (6)

Zyuganov: West Has Nothing to Fear.