POPULATION REMAINS INDIFFERENT TO UPCOMING VOTE.

A pollconducted among 2500 Russians found that if Duma elections wereheld this Sunday, 24 percent were certain that they would nottake part, 14 percent doubted that they would, and 17 percentwere uncertain as to whether they would participate, Moscow radioreported August 16. Only 21 percent said they would certainlyvote in the elections. Many experts share the population’s lackof interest. Academician Bestuzhev-Lada told Russian televisionAugust 17 that the entire election was "completely senseless"since real power in Russia resides with the people around Yeltsin.

Few Russians Interested in Market Economy.