Former acting Russianpremier and leading reformer Yegor Gaidar argues that it is easy to havecapitalism without democracy, but that it is impossible to have democracywithout capitalism, Rossiiskie vesti reported May 17. Consequently, Gaidarsuggests, Russian democrats must fight for both. Authoritarianism In The Regions Checks Authoritarianism... MORE

Saying that Russia faces a new "time of feudal lords," Andrei Fadinsaid in Obshchaya gazeta (no. 20) that the increasing authoritarianism ofregional elites was more effective than democratic reforms in checkingMoscow's authoritarianism. As a result, the enlightened authoritarianism,which presidential advisor Andrannik Migranyan has urged Yeltsin... MORE

While noting that regions havethe right to attract industry through favorable tax arrangements, the Russianfinance ministry said that it will oppose major variations in the rate oftaxes charged in different regions, Segodnya reported May 18. While a commontax regime would promote investment, recent experience suggests... MORE

The Russian treasury is suffering "colossal"losses because of illegal liquor imports and especially because of a risingflood of moonshine, Segodnya said May 18. The paper suggested that as muchas one quarter of all alcohol consumed in Russia today is produced byillegal--and untaxed--stills. Because of vagaries... MORE

An Australian-American firm, brought into clean up an oil spill in the Komi Republic, told Moscow radio May 18 thata fire had broken out in the area of the spill. The firm's spokesman saidthat it was likely to be quickly contained because most of the... MORE

Knuckling under toRussian pressure, the Lithuanian government directed the city of Kaunas toclose the Chechen Information Center that had opened there May 15, BNSreported May 18. Opposition leader Vytautas Landsbergis sharply criticizedMoscow for its efforts to close the center, pointing out that Russia'sobjections to the... MORE

Poland's'ambassador in Vilnius Jan Widecki released a statement criticizing Lithuanianstatements about a newly discovered archive of Armija Krajowa documents, BNSreported May 18. Widecki said that the archives deserved careful studyrather than serving as the basis for "premature" charges about Polishdesigns on Lithuania during World War... MORE

Responding to Portugal's proposal tocreate a list of West European Union military forces available forpeace-keeping and humanitarian assistance, the Latvian government has decidedto register several squads on that list, BNS reported May 18. LatvianForeign Minister Valdis Birkavs' announcement on this score will infuriatethose in Moscow... MORE

Bowing to Ukrainian presidentLeonid Kuchma's threat to call a referendum, and after Kuchma dropped aprovision that would have allowed him to disband parliament, the Ukrainianlegislature passed a bill that gives the president sweeping new powers,Ukrainian radio reported May 18. The bill passed after Communist deputieswalked... MORE

The Ukrainian foreign minister,Hennady Udovenko, told Belarusian officials in Minsk that they must stand upto Russian demands, particularly Russian Premier Chernomyrdin's insistencethat 100 Russian customs officers serve along the Belarusian-Ukrainianborder, Kommersant-daily reported May 18. The paper suggested that Ukrainehad its own reasons for wanting Minsk... MORE