THE NEW DUMA DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
Trud-7, January 13, 2000, p. 4
Negotiations over the structure of the new Duma will continue at the roundtable conference of Duma factions today. The first session on January 11 resolved to reduce the number of Duma committees from 28 to 23. The Committee for Ecology is among those that will be cut.
Meanwhile, environmental conditions in many regions of Russia are little short of disastrous. There are a great many “environmental” draft laws awaiting the decision of the Duma. Now they will probably remain draft laws permanently.
Environmental groups are now bombarding the Duma with pleas to leave the Committee for Ecology alone.
LIVSHITS IS COMPOSED ABOUT THE RUBLE/DOLLAR EXCHANGE RATE
Trud-7, January 13, 2000, p. 4
Alexander Livshits, Russian presidential envoy for contacts with international financial organizations, says that “this situation will last a day or two more, and then the dollar/ruble exchange rate will stabilize at between 28 or 29 rubles per dollar”.
UKRAINE ADMITS ITS DEBT TO RUSSIA FOR GAS
Tribuna, January 13, 2000, p. 1
After negotiations with representatives of the Russian government, Ukrainian Deputy Premier Yuliya Timoshenko admitted that Ukraine’s debt to the Russian company Gazprom amounted to $2.8 billion.
Official Kiev has always considered its debt to Russia for gas was at least seven times smaller.
A TAXATION UPDATE
Tribuna, January 13, 2000, p. 1
In 1999, 339.6 billion rubles of taxes were collected in Russia, 103.5 billion rubles more than the target figure, according to Taxes and Duties Minister Alexander Pochinok.
TERRORIST ACTS PREVENTED IN THE CITY OF ARMAVIR
Tribuna, January 13, 2000, p. 1
Residents of three apartment blocks in the city of Armavir have found bombs with activated timers in the basements.
ANOTHER POLITICIAN NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT
Tribuna, January 13, 2000, p. 2
Samara Governor Konstantin Titov has been nominated for president by initiative groups in the cities of Ryazan and Rostov-on-Don.
MEETING OF THE NORTH-WEST ASSOCIATION
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, January 13, 2000, p. 1
A meeting of the Coordinating Council of the North-West Association of Economic Cooperation, a conglomerate of 12 subjects of the Russian Federation, took place in Petrozavodsk yesterday.
Acting president Vladimir Putin was present. The agenda included matters related to construction of highways in north-western Russia and development of the energy system.
DEFENSE MINISTER SERGEEV DENIES GEORGIAN CLAIM
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, January 13, 2000, p. 1
The Russian Defense Minister, Sergeev, has denied the statement of the Georgian government to the effect that the Chechen terrorists have received weapons from Russian military bases in Georgia.
CHINA WILL BUILD ITS FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, January 13, 2000, p. 1
According to the newspaper “Minbao” (Hong Kong), China plans to begin construction of its first aircraft carrier using Russian technologies.
VOLUNTEERS FROM NOVOSIBIRSK WILL FIGHT IN CHECHNYA
Izvestia, January 13, 2000, p. 2
Acting on the orders of the Defense Ministry, the Novosibirsk municipal army enlistment and recruitment office has formed a detachment of 200 contract servicemen to be sent to Chechnya.
Every serviceman is promised 850 rubles a day.
PUTIN OFFICIALLY NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT
NTV (Independent Television), “Segodnya” program, January 12, 2000, 10:00
Vladimir Putin is about to be officially recognized as a candidate for president. A number of influential Russian governors and regional leaders, including representatives of the Unity and All Russia movements, have put forth the initiative of nominating Putin. In accordance with the law, the group needs to be registered by the Central Electoral Commission, which then receives the nominee’s written consent and information on his income and assets. According to a representative of the initiative group, the collection of signatures in Putin’s support will begin as soon as official registration is granted. Since this is going to be an early election, the activists will have to come up with only 500,000 signatures.
An interview with Ivan Sklyarov, Nizhny Novgorod Governor and a representative of the initiative group which nominated Putin.
Question: How did governors decide to come up with the idea of nominating Putin in the first place? After all, they openly entered the world of federal politics…
Answer: It is naive to expect governors and regional leaders in our country to steer clear of federal politics. During the parliamentary election, every regional leader tried to defend his own position, and this is probably why the Duma we elected is not an opposition-minded one. There are new blocs in the Duma now – Unity, Fatherland, All Russia, Union of Right Forces, and so on – and all of that entitles us to the hope that the Duma will be constructive.
The presidential election is a more serious matter. We need a man who will coordinate and consolidate the hopes and efforts of parties, movements, and voters. As we see it, very many political movements (and residents of Nizhny Novgorod as well, by the way) do support Vladimir Putin. His first moves in the government show him to be a resolute man. I do not mean the Caucasus alone; it applies to other matters and problems he handles.
Question: Do you know anything about why Mintimer Shaimiyev, who used to support Yevgeny Primakov only recently, has now decided to side with Putin? Does it mean that Shaimiyev is in a hurry to get into the camp of the most probable winner?
Answer: No, I do not think so. Mintimer Sharipovich, a seasoned politician and a man respected in the country, must have decided after reflection that supporting Putin would be best for Russia.
GOVERNORS SUPPORT PUTIN
ORT (Russian Public Television), News program, January 12, 2000, 15:00
Acting president Vladimir Putin was officially nominated for president today. A meeting of a group of regional leaders took place in Moscow, and those present resolved to nominate Putin. The group comprises governors with clout who represent, specifically, the All Russia and Unity movements.
Mintimer Shaimiyev, President of Tatarstan: This is the choice of residents of Tatarstan. After all, society is consolidating around Vladimir Putin these days. Residents of Tatarstan support this consolidation.
Mikhail Prusak, Novgorod Governor: Putin has shown himself to be a man who keeps his word, a resolute and determined man. The country needs a man like that. He is energetic, he is a man who can deliver, and that is of crucial importance.
ACTING PRESIDENT VISITS THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
ORT (Russian Public Television), News program, January 12, 2000, 12:00
Acting president Vladimir Putin visited the General Prosecutor’s Office, congratulated its officials on their professional celebration, and awarded decorations to some of them.
A source in the General Prosecutor’s Office says that the situation with the general prosecutor was not discussed today, and Yuri Skuratov was not mentioned.
