CHERNOMYRDIN TO SPEAK AT DUMA JULY 19.

Russian prime ministerViktor Chernomyrdin will present his government’s 1996 budgetto the Duma on July 19 and is expected to present an upbeat assessmentof the Russian economy, Interfax reported July 17. Following hisspeech, Duma Security Committee chairman Viktor Illyukhin saidthat he would denounce the government for failing to solve thecountry’s economic and military security problems. Illyukhin saidthat Chernomyrdin’s cabinet had fallen short in 19 of 20 areasfor which the government has a responsibility. The parliamentwill then consider the nomination of Tatyana Paramonova to bepermanent head of the Russian Central Bank. Paramonova, who haspushed a tight money policy as acting director, faces stiff andgrowing opposition.