IDEA THAT "RUSSIA IS NOT READY FOR DEMOCRACY" SPREADS MONG ELITE.

More and more senior Russian officials and commentatorshave come to believe that Russia cannot transform itself directlyfrom totalitarianism to democracy but must pass through some formof authoritarianism, Russian human rights activist Sergei Kovalevtold Moskovskiye novosti (no. 53). As a result, Kovalevsaid, there is less and less support from the Russian elite fordemocracy and more and more willingness to accept an ever strongerpresidential system.

CIS Bank Hopes To Expand Operations.