YELTSIN OPENS FEDERATION COUNCIL, VOWS TO CRUSH CHECHEN REBELS.

At the opening session of the newly-constituted Federation Council today, President Boris Yeltsin vowed to crush armed rebels in Chechnya. Although he said he hoped the conflict could be resolved through dialogue, Yeltsin again ruled out negotiations with Chechen rebel leader General Dzhokhar Dudayev. (7) The upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council consists of 178 members — two from each of the 89 federal territories. Each territory has sent the head of the regional legislature and the head of the executive as its representatives, including, for the first time, Chechnya.

At the top of the Council’s agenda is the election of a speaker and deputy speakers and the formation of parliamentary committees and commissions. Debate on federal bills submitted to the Council after their passage through the Duma will follow. Governor of Orel oblast Yegor Stroyev is considered likely to be elected speaker. (8) Born in 1937, Stroyev is a long-time Soviet Communist Party official. He was elected party leader in Orel oblast in 1985, promoted to a Central Committee secretary in 1990, and has been governor of his native oblast since the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

Gaidar Breaks with Yeltsin.