YELTSIN DEFENDS STRONG PRESIDENCY, WARNS OF THREAT TO REFORMS.

In an interview with the magazine Delovie lyudi (Business People), Yeltsin brushed aside calls for constitutional amendments abolishing the post of president or limiting its powers. (The Communist party is committed to the eventual abolition of the presidency as an institution; Grigory Yavlinsky’s Yabloko party has argued in favor of restricting the powers of the president.) Yeltsin said a strong presidency was essential to guarantee stability at a time when Russia was going through deep political and economic transformations.

Continuing the strong anti-communism that is the hallmark of his election campaign, Yeltsin said that some members of the democratic camp (he appeared to mean Yabloko) mistakenly believe that even a communist president would have no choice but to continue the reforms. Yeltsin took issue with this opinion, saying the reforms were not yet so deep as to be irreversible. Yeltsin said Russia’s Communists could not be compared with those reformed communists who have gained power in eastern European countries such as Poland and Latvia. "In Russia, we have a party of revenge. Its ideology is based on Marxist-Leninist ideas," said Yeltsin.

Bankers Call Again for Compromise.