COMMUNISTS AND NATIONALISTS COALESCE, DEMOCRATS TRY TO.

Meeting in Moscow July 6, the popular-patriotic bloc that backed Gennady Zyuganov’s unsuccessful presidential bid resolved to turn itself from a bloc into a movement. Their ambition is to form a shadow cabinet. The meeting was held behind closed doors and there were unconfirmed reports of sharp exchanges between moderate Communists, who tried to justify the "evolutionary" policies on which Zyuganov fought his campaign, and radical members of the bloc, who blamed Zyuganov’s defeat on his failure to promote more revolutionary policies. One surprise from the meeting was that former Soviet prime minister Nikolai Ryzhkov, now leader of the nationalist "People’s Power" movement, was selected to organize the new movement instead of Zyuganov. But Ryzhkov said later that he hoped Zyuganov would assume the leadership once the new movement was established. (ORT, July 6) Meanwhile, democratic members of the Russian Duma say they will consolidate around the " Russia is Our Home" parliamentary faction to form a democratic majority to counter the dominant Communist and agrarian factions. The new democratic faction is to be called "Parliamentary Agreement." (RTR, July 7)

Duma Moves to Investigate Military Corruption.