COMMUNISTS THREATEN YELTSIN WITH IMPEACHMENT.

The Russian Duma has scheduled an emergency debate for Friday, November 26, to discuss both President Yeltsin’s decree ordering the last two brigades of federal troops out of Chechnya and the interim framework agreement signed by the Russian and Chechen prime ministers on November 23. The agreement, which sets out relations between Grozny and Moscow, gave the republic wide autonomy ahead of Chechen elections set for January 27. Communist and nationalist parliamentarians charge that the agreement and the troop withdrawal amount to "treachery." Zyuganov says the Communist faction will propose a motion of no confidence in the government and another leading Communist parliamentarian, Viktor Ilyukhin, says deputies may also try to impeach the president on the grounds of unconstitutional conduct. The leader of the pro-government "Russia is Our Home" faction, Sergei Belyaev, has dismissed the Communists’ complaints as "hysterical" while Yabloko says its members will abstain.

The Russian constitution lays down such strict requirements for impeachment (two-thirds majorities in both houses of parliament and the approval of both the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, all within a time limit of three months) that the Duma is highly unlikely to be able to carry out its threat. (Interfax, Reuter, November 25)

Brigades to Withdraw But Some Russian Troops to Stay.