IN STATE OF NATION ADDRESS, YELTSIN THREATENS TO SACK GOVERNMENT…

In his state of the nation speech February 23, President Boris Yeltsin warned his government that it would be replaced if it did not raise popular living standards soon (presumably, well before the June presidential elections). Yeltsin accused Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin’s cabinet of "focusing on financial stabilization" and "forgetting about people living on wages and pensions." Rumors have been rife for weeks that Yeltsin may try to boost his own popularity by sacking Chernomyrdin before the elections. If so, Yeltsin is likely to wait until it is too late for the prime minister to put himself forward as an alternative candidate. To register as a candidate, an individual must collect a minimum of one million signatures from at least 15 of Russia’s 89 administrative regions. The deadline for the submission of signatures and other registration documents is April 16. Collecting the signatures for each candidate is carried out by an action committee; such committees must register by March 2. Yeltsin could probably dismiss Chernomyrdin any time after that date, since by then it would be too late for the ousted premier to advance himself as a rival candidate.

…Assesses Russia’s Place in the World…