Word: yeltsin
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...current political vacuum, however, is of Yeltsin's own making and reflects his philosophy of power. "Boris Yeltsin never really fully trusts anyone," said an official who has watched him closely for years. "He is very adroit at manipulating the friendships and animosities of those around him." Yeltsin's distrust of others and his gift for manipulation found its expression in the 1993 constitution. Drawn up at the height of Yeltsin's confrontation with the legislature, the constitution gave the President broad and vaguely defined prerogatives. The aim was to ensure that he, and only he, controlled all the levers...
...Anatoli Chubais; Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin; and national security chief Alexander Lebed. Lebed and Chernomyrdin have presidential ambitions. Chubais, whose role in the privatization of Russian industry made him deeply unpopular, has no hope of winning the presidency but would clearly like to be Prime Minister in the post-Yeltsin era. No single member of the triad can claim supremacy over the others, and none trusts his two colleagues. Watching, and ready to join in when the opportunity arises, are two more potential contenders. Communist leader Gennadi Zyuganov would welcome a second crack at the presidency; meanwhile, Chernomyrdin and other...
...when Lebed recently tried to dictate to Rodionov a list of high-level personnel changes in the ministry, "Rodionov told him what to do with his list." Lebed's opponents in the political establishment are hoping that time will erode his lead. If the Chechnya peace agreement unravels, or Yeltsin recovers, Lebed's premature election campaign will look both indelicate and unwise. But in either case, Lebed might well walk out of the government, claiming to be the victim of jealous and corrupt government leaders. This is not a reassuring prospect for his many enemies. The last person...
...long run, if there is a long run, Lebed could face a serious challenge from the Prime Minister. Chernomyrdin, 58, received a very restrained vote of confidence from Yeltsin last week when, after two weeks of hesitation, the Kremlin announced he would indeed act as President during the President's incapacitation. But if Yeltsin has his way, Chernomyrdin will have little time to project himself to the public as a steady, reassuring leader. He will assume presidential powers when Yeltsin goes into the operating room and surrender them when the anesthetic wears off. Chernomyrdin has other problems. The most immediate...
Another politician preparing for the long haul is Luzhkov, 60. Yeltsin supporters say with grudging admiration that Luzhkov has already assembled an excellent public relations team. He is establishing alliances with regional leaders, speaking out on national issues and creating a powerful base for himself. Sources close to Chernomyrdin say Luzhkov is also trying to cut away at the Prime Minister's war chest by supporting moves to break Gazprom's oil-and-gas monopoly. Luzhkov's motives, a Chernomyrdin aide said last week, have little to do with devotion to free-market capitalism...