AN APPOINTED UPPER HOUSE?

Boris Yeltsin and representatives of the Dumaare moving toward a compromise on the vetoed election bill, Izvestiyareported May 27. Yeltsin, the paper said, will drop his objections tomost of the Duma’s bill if the Duma will agree to have the FederationCouncil be made up of governors and regional administrators appointedby the president. Such an arrangement could give the “party of power”automatic control of one of the houses and thus guarantee a more pliantlegislature. The chief of the Presidential Administration, SergeiFilatov, told Moscow television May 29 that he was confident that suchan arrangement could be worked out. The Russian constitution allows forthis–as did the pre-1917 statutes for the tsarist Duma, some of whosemembers were appointed by the tsar personally. And Vladimir Shumeiko,the speaker of the upper house, has proposed making Federation Councilmembership “for life” or even putting it on an hereditary basis.

Customs Union With Belarus Carries High Price.