Voice of America, 99-12-19

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] ITALY POLITICS (S&L) BY SABINA CASTELFRANCO (ROME)

[02] RUSSIA CHECHNYA (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[03] RUSSIA ELECT RESULTS (L UPDATE) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[04] RUSSIA ELECTION RESULTS 2ND UPDATE (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[01] ITALY POLITICS (S&L) BY SABINA CASTELFRANCO (ROME)

INTRO: Italy's president is holding consultations to form Italy's 57th post-war government, following the resignation of Premier Massimo D'Alema late Saturday. Observers believe a new center-left government will be in place before Christmas. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

TEXT: President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi began holding talks with institutional figures and political parties early Sunday, indicating he hopes to end the latest Italian political crisis as quickly as possible. The prime minister's decision to step down at the end of a parliamentary debate late Saturday came as no surprise to Italians. In recent weeks, deep divisions had appeared among the center-left government's coalition partners. Mr. D'Alema, Italy's first former Communist-Party prime minister, has headed the country's 56th post-war government for the past 14-months. The Italian president asked Mr. D'Alema to stay on in a caretaker capacity while consultations are under way.

[02] RUSSIA CHECHNYA (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Russian warplanes have pounded the Chechen capital, Grozny and rebel strongholds in the breakaway republic as voters in the rest of the country cast ballots in parliamentary elections. Moscow Correspondent Peter Heinlein reports a meeting between commanders on both sides ended inconclusively.

TEXT: Grozny came under a fresh barrage of air and artillery attacks. The semi-official Interfax news agency says warplanes and helicopters flew more than 60-sorties, pouring bombs on suspected rebel hideouts in the largely destroyed capital. Federal troops are said to have taken a southern district of the city without a fight, and a Russian general is predicting government forces will control all of Grozny by New Years Day. But commanders say they have no plans to storm the city. The strategy appears to be to target one district at a time, first pummeling it from the air to drive Chechen fighters out, then moving in and taking over the ruins. Russian army Chief of Staff General Anatoly Kvashnin reveals he held direct talks with representatives of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov during the past few days. General Kvashnin told the state-run ITAR-Tass news agency he bluntly pressed the rebel leadership for an unconditional surrender, but made no progress. Despite a steady barrage of international criticism, the war enjoys wide popular support among Russians. It has boosted the fortunes of both Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and a pro-Kremlin party running in the parliamentary election. The Unity Party, formed only two-months ago, is expected to become one of the largest factions in the Duma, the lower house of parliament. Saturday on the eve of the election, Prime Minister Putin dismissed western news reports of heavy casualties among civilians and Russian troops in Chechnya as -- lies and propaganda. Russian news agencies rarely report Russian or civilian casualties, focusing instead on what are believed to be wildly exaggerated reports of Chechen rebel losses. Mr. Putin predicted relations with the West, badly strained because of Russia's disproportionate use of force in Chechnya, would improve rapidly once the rebels were crushed. President Boris Yeltsin's spokesman said Saturday the Russian leader expects the war to be over by the time he leaves office next August. (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/DW/RAE 19-Dec-1999 10:29 AM EDT (19-Dec-1999 1529 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] RUSSIA ELECT RESULTS (L UPDATE) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Exit polls in Russia's parliamentary elections show the Communist Party winning the largest bloc of legislative seats, followed closely by a newly formed party supported by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. V- O-A's Peter Heinlein in Moscow reports centrist parties appear to be making the biggest gains.

TEXT: Early returns, mostly from the Far East, put the newly-formed Unity bloc in a surprising lead over the Communists. But an exit poll released by the privately-owned NTV television channel indicates the Communists will pull ahead as the counting progresses. Nevertheless, the early results are being seen as a huge victory for a younger generation of politicians. Unity is led by 44-year-old Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu. But it is widely seen as a vehicle for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's presidential candidacy. Mr. Putin, who is 47, is not a member of any party, but made clear his preference for Unity. Other parties showing well include the Union of Right Forces, a group of youthful politicians, which based its campaign on an appeal to voters in their twenties. Under a different name, the party failed to qualify for a bloc of seats in parliament four years ago. This time, the party seems set to capture ten percent of the vote. Yabloko, led by 47-year-old liberal economist Grigory Yavlinsky, is also set to surpass the five percent barrier needed to win a share of seats, as is the ultranationalist Zhirinovsky bloc. Another coalition, the Fatherland/All Russia bloc led by 70-year-old former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and 63-year-old Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, appears likely to capture more than ten percent. But that figure is far below what had been predicted when the campaign started four months ago, and is likely to weaken either politician's chances to mount a serious presidential campaign. This election is being closely watched to see who is likely to take second place in the first round of next June's presidential election, thereby earning the right to face off against Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov. The strong showing by Unity indicates that candidate is likely to be Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Most political analysts agree the Communist Party has enough supporters to take the largest bloc of votes in any multi-party election. But polls have consistently shown that in a two-way runoff, the Communists have little or no chance of winning. (Signed) Neb/pfh/gm 19-Dec-1999 15:39 PM EDT (19-Dec-1999 2039 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] RUSSIA ELECTION RESULTS 2ND UPDATE (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Russia's Communist Party has taken the top spot in parliamentary elections, followed closely by a newly formed pro-Kremlin party. V-O-A Moscow correspondent Peter Heinlein reports centrist groups and younger politicians appear to be the biggest winners.

TEXT: Exit polls indicate the Communists will finish with about 28-percent of the vote nationwide. That had been expected. But in an apparent breakthrough that could change the face of Russian politics and boost hopes for economic reform, centrist parties made large gains. The two-month old Unity bloc, a pro-Kremlin party allied with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, finished a strong second, with 24-percent. Mr. Putin is not a member of the party, but it is viewed as a possible vehicle for his expected run for the presidency next year. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the strong showing by the Union of Right Forces, a party of young reformers led by former Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko. The party is vying for third place with the bloc led by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and another former Prime Minister, Yevgeny Primakov. A few months ago, the Union of Right Forces was given little chance of clearing the five-percent barrier needed to win a share of the 225 seats up for grabs, while the Luzhkov-Primakov alliance was considered the most likely challenger for the Communists. Other parties expected to clear the five-percent barrier are the Yabloko party led by liberal economist Grigory Yavlinsky and the Zhirinovsky bloc headed by ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The exit poll results, if confirmed, are a big victory for centrist parties, which appear to have captured more than half the votes, and for youth. Prime Minister Putin is 47; the head of the Unity Party, Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu, is 44; and former Prime Minister Kiriyenko is 37. On the other hand, the outcome is a blow to the electoral fortunes of Mayor Luzhkov, who is 63, and Mr. Primakov, who is 70. Mayor Luzhkov, however, did easily win re-election as Mayor of Moscow. The results raise the possibility of a lower house less dominated by Communists and more balanced between supporters and opponents of Prime Minister Putin's government. But veteran observers warn it is still too early to draw firm conclusions. The 225 seats decided by party percentage constitute only half the parliament. The other half are elected in single-member districts. Final results are not expected until late Monday, and complete returns may not be available for more than a week. (Signed) Neb/pfh/gm 19-Dec-1999 17:44 PM EDT (19-Dec-1999 2244 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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