NEMTSOV ON RUSSIA’S FUTURE.

Boris Nemtsov said yesterday that Zyuganov is certain to be elected in June, but that what happens after that will depend on four factors: whether the Russian mass media manage to keep their independence; whether the democrats put up a united opposition; whether the Communist party avoids internal splits; and, finally, how the west reacts. ÒIf western banks and politicians use the large Russian debt as a means of exerting pressure on a Communist government, then the situation in Russia will not be hopeless.Ó Nemtsov predicted that a Communist president will try to reestablish the nomenklatura by increasing the authority of his representatives in the provinces (under YeltsinÕs leadership, presidential representatives have been virtually powerless), while at the same time cutting back the powers of regional leaders. Nemtsov advised Yeltsin to use the rest of his time in office to introduce amendments to the constitution reducing the powers of the president. (8)

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