GOVERNMENT OVERTURE TO SKOKOV-LEBED PARTY ?

Drawing a clear distinction between the "irreconcilable opposition" and the Congress of Russian Communities led by Yuri Skokov and Lt. General Aleksandr Lebed, a semi-official daily which usually reflects the government’s viewpoint advocates an alliance between the CRC and the governmental "Russia is Our Home" bloc: "Comparing CRC’s program documents with those of "Russia is Our Home," it is evident how much they have in common. The obvious question is: Why invent a conflict when there are such good grounds for sensible people to cooperate with each other ?"

CRC has sharply criticized the performance of Viktor Chernomyrdin’s government and evidently expects to gain more by running in the election against "Russia is our Home," rather than on its side. CRC is therefore likely to ignore alliance proposals from the government or the Chernomyrdin bloc. 5

The Military Still Like Zhirinovsky, but May Not Vote.