WRANGLE OVER "POWER MINISTRY APPOINTMENTS."

A Russian newspaper reported yesterday that there are now two finalists in the race for Russia’s defense minister post — Border Forces commander Andrei Nikolayev and General Staff Academy chief Igor Rodionov — and that Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin stands behind the first and Security Council secretary Aleksandr Lebed behind the second. The newspaper suggests that the man appointed will be an indication of who is winning the broader Kremlin struggle for power between Chernomyrdin and Lebed. (Nezavisimoe voennoe obozrenie Supplement No. 13) On a related issue, Lebed said yesterday that he had been consulted and had approved the appointment of Nikolai Kovalev to the post of Federal Security Service director. (Interfax, July 11) Rumors have been rife that Lebed was not consulted on the appointment and that Kovalev’s promotion suggested that the retired general had not been able to consolidate his influence even over key personnel decisions in Russia’s "power ministries."

Army Demands Allowances.