CHECHEN TALKS TO RESUME JULY 14.

After a one day breakfor consultations, Russian and Chechen negotiators will resumetalks on July 14. According to the Postfactum news agency, theRussian side believes a compromise has been found on the delicateissue of the status of Chechnya. Russian delegation member ArkadyVolsky said that the compromise would declare that Chechnya haddeclared independence in 1991 in accordance with Soviet law atthat time, but in violation of Russian legislation, and that Chechnyacould not seek independence now. (In another interview with Obshchayagazeta (no. 28), Volsky said that there was no "partyof war" in Moscow but there was "a party of fools"who did not understand what had happened in Chechnya.) Chechenmilitary leader Aslan Maskhadov told Moscow’s Echo radio that"people will shoot us in the streets if we accept such avariant," an indication that the talks may not see a breakthroughafter all. Another place where there has been no breakthroughis the case of Fred Cuny, the American aid worker who has beenmissing in Chechnya since April 9. Again, on July 13, there wasno word about his fate. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court continuedits hearings on the legality of Yeltsin’s order to intervene inChechnya.

Yeltsin Sets Parliamentary Elections for December 17.