…AND ACCUSES OPPOSITION OF PLOTTING TO WRECK THE ELECTION.

Also yesterday, Yeltsin’s aide Georgy Satarov accused Zyuganov’s supporters of planning to undermine the election by fabricating evidence of vote-rigging. Satarov said the Zyuganov camp has realized that its candidate stands no chance of winning and is therefore spreading rumors that the vote will be falsified in Yeltsin’s favor. The Communists have indeed alleged that the Yeltsin camp is likely to try to falsify the vote, pointing out that most regional administrators, who are well placed to influence the results, are Yeltsin appointees. The Yeltsin camp has counterattacked by pointing out that many lower-level local officials are Communists and concluding that, if the vote is rigged, it will be in Zyuganov’s favor. (Argumenty i fakty, May 6)

The Yeltsin camp is worried by Zyuganov’s plan to muster a force of 20,000 election observers, 5-7 of whom will be present at every polling station. Satarov alleged yesterday that these observers will create chaos and confusion on polling day and plant evidence to discredit the election as a whole. He also hinted that the Communists might stage some kind of armed provocation prior to the election, though he declined to go into details, saying only "We also have information on preparations for another option which involves disruption of the elections." (Interfax, May 30)

Dangerous Lack of Confidence in the Democratic Process.