CNN - Zyuganov proposes coalition government

Zyuganov proposes coalition government

June 24, 1996
Web posted at: 8:05 p.m. EDT (0005 GMT)

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Warning of an impending "national collapse," Communist presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov called Monday for a coalition government of Russia's major political forces.

Zyuganov, who came in second behind President Boris Yeltsin in elections this month, suggested a three-part coalition made of Communist leaders, parliament leaders and officials from the current government.

Without such a coalition, Zyuganov said, none of the political groups would be able to prevent economic collapse and civil unrest.

"Our society is split in three parts," said Zyuganov. "No political force alone can lead the country out of the situation we are in."

The coalition would form the basis for a government after the election should Zyuganov unseat Yeltsin in the July 3 runoff, with government posts divided among the three factions.

Russian leaders dismiss plan

Yeltsin, who took a day off from campaigning Monday, had no immediate reaction to Zyuganov's proposal. But one of his senior campaign aides, Vyacheslav Nikonov, told the Itar-Tass news agency the proposal was "an attempt to form an unconstitutional bureaucratic organ, the functions of which are not clear."

The liberal economist Grigory Yavlinsky, a candidate in the first round of elections, dismissed Zyuganov's plan. "Zyuganov is very afraid that he will lose in the next round, and he has good reason to think this," he said.

Zyuganov's proposal comes in the wake of a new poll showing Yeltsin leading him.

A poll released Sunday gave Yeltsin 53 percent in the runoff compared to 34 percent for Zyuganov, with the remainder saying they did not plan to vote. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.

Polls in Russia are not the best barometers of political sentiment as Russians are often uncomfortable sharing their views.

It was also unclear to what extent the poll reflected reaction to a massive Kremlin shakeup last week. Yeltsin appointed retired Gen. Alexander Lebed, who finished a strong third in first-round voting, as his national security chief and fired a group of hard-line advisers and ministers.

Reindeer herders go to polls early

As the candidates worked to solidify their support, reindeer-herding nomads in Russia's remote Arctic regions began casting their votes Monday in the second round of the presidential election. The nomads typically vote earlier than the rest of the country to ensure their ballots arrive in time to be counted with votes cast on election day.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Pivotal Elections: Russia

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Zyuganov proposes coalition government

Russian leaders dismiss plan

Reindeer herders go to polls early

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