CAMPAIGN TO RE-ELECT THE PRESIDENT PLAGUED BY SPLITS.

Those supporting Boris YeltsinÕs campaign for re-election gathered in Moscow on March 2. The organizer of the meeting, Sergei Filatov, said 37 parties and movements were represented. Conspicuous by its absence was Yegor GaidarÕs RussiaÕs Democratic Choice. Reminding RussiaÕs democrats of the fate that befell GermanyÕs social democrats in the 1930s, Filatov said he was hopeful that Gaidar would soon have a change of heart. Also in attendance was Vladimir Shumeiko, leader of the ÒReforms–New CourseÓ movement. Shumeiko said he hoped his movement would evolve into a presidential party in place of ÒRussia is Our HomeÓ which, though represented at SaturdayÕs meeting, discredited itself when it lost DecemberÕs parliamentary elections. In another telltale sign of disagreement at the top, an aide to First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets denied FilatovÕs statement that Soskovets would be taking leave of absence from his government post to manage YeltsinÕs campaign. Interviewed on television, Premier Chernomyrdin repeated that Soskovets would go on leave. (8)

Russia’s Impoverished Soldiers.