YELTSIN OPPONENT APPARENT VICTOR IN SVERDLOVSK RACE.

EduardRossel, an advocate of an independent Urals republic who wasdismissed by Boris Yeltsin two years ago, apparently has won reelectionas governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Itar-Tass reported August21. Preliminary returns from a runoff held August 21 show himdefeating Aleksei Strakhov, a supporter of Premier Victor Chernomyrdin’s"Russia is Our Home" bloc, by a margin of two to one.Earlier this year, Yeltsin had allowed elections to be held inhis home region of Sverdlovsk by way of an exception; now, hefaces the unpleasant (to him) results.

Chernomyrdin Defends His Policies.