LEBED’S PARTY REGISTERED.

The Russian Justice Ministry has officially registered the Russian People’s Republican party, led by presidential hopeful Aleksandr Lebed. (Interfax, April 18) Last week, Kommersant-daily described Lebed as losing popularity and fading fast from the political scene. (Kommersant-daily, April 19) The task facing the new party, which defines its goal as "uniting the progressive forces of society in order to strengthen state authority," is to restore Lebed to public prominence.

Chernomyrdin in Czech Republic.