DUMA DIVIDES ON CHECHNYA.

Stanislav Govorukhin, the chairmanof the Duma commission on Chechnya, has called for an amendmentto the Russian Constitution in order to allow the Chechen Republicto become independent, Russian media reported July 21. He saidthat Chechnya would not be able to survive on its own, but itsindependence would save the Russian taxpayer money. Govorukhinalso suggested that several Russian-populated areas of Chechnyashould be split off from Chechnya before Grozny would be allowedto leave the federation, a proposal the Duma voted down. Othercommission members, in an alternative report, vehemently disagreedwith Govorukhin’s proposals.

Russian Military: Dudayev’s Forces in Decline.