Date: Tue, 27 May 97 15:50:32 CDT
From: rich%pencil@cmsa.Berkeley.EDU (Rich Winkel)
Subject: The Upheaval in Russia
/** headlines: 165.0 **/
** Topic: The Upheaval in Russia **
** Written 9:04 PM May 26, 1997 by newsdesk in cdp:headlines **
/* Written 8:40 PM May 24, 1997 by caos@anditel.andinet.lat.net in iww.news */
/* ---------- "The Upheaval in Russia" ---------- */
From: heiko@easynet.co.uk (by way of Carlos Moreno <caos@anditel.andinet.lat.net>)

Maritime Territory Governor Meets Protesting Miners

By Yevgenia Lents, Itar-Tass, 16 May 1997

VLADIVOSTOK, May 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Governor of the Maritime Territory Yevgeniy Nazdratenko has persuaded miners to cancel the demand for his resignation in a resolution passed today at a miner rally on Vladivostok central square.

A three-hour conversation with miners, who protested against collapse of the Maritime mining industry, focused on the miners' demands, the Maritime territorial administration's press department told Itar-Tass. As a result, the rally resolution was corrected.

Nazdratenko told the miners he personally controlled transfer of money for payment of salaries to power engineers and miners. He had negotiations with the Maritime department of the Russian Pension Fund to cut miners' deductions to the fund and use the money for payment of salaries. Representatives of the Maritime territorial administration believe that passions at miners' collectives are stirred up by heads of the Primorskugol company and trade union leaders.

Maritime Territory's Situation ‘Extremely Serious’

Moscow Mayak Radio Network, in Russian, 16 Mqy 1997, 1400 GMT

According to reports from the Argumenty I Fakty-Novosti agency the situation in Maritime Territory is being exacerbated by the conflict between territorial Governor Yevgeniy Nazdratenko and Vladivostok Mayor Vladimir Cherepkov.

At present (Pavel Lyshev), a representative of the Territorial Directorate in the Russian Presidential Administration, is there and meeting the leadership of the Territory and the city of Vladivostok. (Vladimir Tselikov), (Lyshev's) assistant, described the situation in the Territory as "extremely serious." Regarding the demands made by miners to have Nazdratenko dismissed, Tselikov said that there is no mechanism for dismissing a popularly elected governor.

Chernomyrdin Demands Urgent Action on Far East Crisis

By Gennadiy Yezhov, Itar-Tass
19 May 1997

MOSCOW, May 19 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin instructed all concerned ministries and departments on Monday to take urgent measures to end the fuel and energy crisis in the Maritime Territory, Russia's Far East.

In an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass, Chernomyrdin said that this issue was discussed at a meeting with President Boris Yeltsin earlier today.

"Immediately after the meeting, I gave corresponding instructions to interested ministries and departments to immediately resolve the fuel and energy crisis in the region," he said.