FEDERAL FORCES STILL FIGHTING IN CHECHNYA
Independent Television, Segodnya, March 18, 2000, 22:00
Seven days remain until the presidential election in Russia. In certain regions the voting will be conducted against a background of battle. The federal forces continue fighting the separatists in the mountains of Chechnya. According to correspondents of “Segodnya”, some of the guerrillas have managed to cross the pass in the Argun canyon, escaping to Dagestan. The military says that the federal forces control the village of Komsomolskoye, but they are still combing through it. The troops are checking all cellars and refuges where guerrillas may hide.
LUZHKOV HAS JOINED PUTIN’S TEAM
ORT, Analiticheskaya Programma Sergeya Dorenko, March 18, 2000, 21:00
The ranks of supporters of acting President Vladimir Putin are expanding rapidly. Following declarations of support by the Union of Right Forces and Mikhail Lapshin’s Agrarian Party, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has joined the army of Putin supporters.
Other politicians who hope to get the support of part of Fatherland’s voters in the presidential election don’t think that Luzhkov’s support for Vladimir Putin is sincere. They also say that Luzhkov’s opinion is not the opinion of Fatherland as an organization. At the same time, the position of Yabloko resembles jealousy.
As a matter of fact, Yuri Luzhkov is not interested in the opinion of the regional branches of Fatherland. He could not decide whether to support Vladimir Putin or not.
Currently the relations between Yuri Luzhkov and Vladimir Putin are not a fight between two politicians, but relations between a president and a mayor.
RATINGS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
ORT, Analiticheskaya Programma Sergeya Dorenko, March 18, 2000, 21:00
The Public Opinion Foundation has conducted an opinion poll, asking the usual question: Whom would you support if the presidential elections were held this weekend? Vladimir Putin has collected 48% this week (53% last week). Second place is taken by Gennady Zyuganov (19%). Grigory Yavlinsky has retained his third place with 4%. Vladimir Zhirinovsky has collected 4% (last week he was not included in the poll); he takes fourth place, because the results of the poll are rounded upwards.
Aman Tuleev takes fifth place (2% last week, 3% this week). Konstantin Titov takes sixth place (his rating has grown from 1% to 2%). Ella Pamfilova has retained 1%.
