MOSCOW CITY: NEW TARIFFS ON FOOD DESIGNED TO CREATE POLITICALCRISIS.

The Moscow city government released a statement August3 saying that the recent imposition of new customs duties on importedfood was "a deliberate action designed to create a crisisin the capital" as the election campaign begins, Russianmedia reported. The city authorities did not specify just whowanted this situation to develop but said that it included thoseforces which felt they could exploit a situation in which manyresidents of the capital could not afford to buy food. Given thatthe tariffs were introduced by the Yeltsin government, their politicaltarget may be Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov whom some Muscovites mayblame if conditions deteriorate.

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