Word: yeltsin
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...About Yeltsin," says an elderly man. "He promised to lie down on the railroad tracks if prices went...
...baked by his wife. The apartment belonged to Alexander Prokhanov, a virulently nationalistic newspaper editor, and the occasion was an unlikely gathering of politicians, generals and intellectuals from the far right and far left of Russia's ideological spectrum. With little in common save a shared conviction that Boris Yeltsin was destroying the motherland, the members of Prokhanov's salon would practice running the country together. They would form a mock Cabinet, dividing up the various portfolios among themselves. Deciding who got which job was never easy, but the consensus pick for the top post was always the same...
...chorus of heckling rises and subsides. Gorbachev presses on. "Yeltsin's reforms have benefited no more than 10% of the population," he says. "That must stop." A few dozen in the audience now rise, clapping. "On the other hand," he adds quickly, spreading his arms to still the applause, "we must not forget how many ordinary citizens the Communists oppressed. Do you think they will not do the same if you vote for them...
...Well maybe he did," Gorbachev says, "but under him the trains don't run regularly." When the laughter stops, Gorbachev becomes grave. "I made a mistake trusting Yeltsin," he says, "but you elected him the first time, so you made a mistake too. Think hard before you make the same mistake again, and remember that no matter who wins, the result must be respected. What we need most at this time is a straight, free, democratic election...
Gradually the hostility turns to neutrality and then to respect--but not support. Too much is at stake, explain several people as they exit. "We can't waste our votes and help the Communists," says one. "We'll have to go with Yeltsin...