YELTSIN, DUMA FINALLY AGREE ON ELECTION BILL.

Boris Yeltsin has dropped some of his objections to the Russian parliament’s election bill and thus ended a standoff with the Duma which began when he vetoed the measure last week, Moscow’s Mayak radio reported June 8. Yeltsin agreed to the even split which the Duma had demanded between members elected by party list and those chosen in single member districts. The Duma agreed to limit the number of Moscow-based candidates to allow Russian regions more representation in the parliament. This second measure will weaken reformist parties because they draw most of their support from the big cities, and will help Chernomyrdin’s “party of power” bloc which can count on local leaders to dominate elections in their regions.

Rybkin Bloc Gains Support.