Moscow, 14 February 1997 (RFE/RL) - The Russian Duma today passed a resolution demanding a full report on the state of President Boris Yeltsin's health.
Duma deputies voted 271 to 32 in favor of the resolution. There were 14 abstentions.
The resolution calls on the Ministry of Health, together with Yeltsin's doctors, to send a statement to the Duma by March 1 on the state of Yeltsin's health.
The Duma was unable to pass a resolution calling on Yeltsin to step down because of ill health. Deputies voted 208 to 83 in favor of the measure, but a minimum of 226 votes were required for the resolution to pass.
The Duma passed the resolution in principle last month, but were unable to muster enough votes to fully adopt the measure. Presidential spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky told a briefing later today he saw "no problem" in providing Parliament information on Yeltsin's health.
Yastrzhembsky told reporters "this information can and no doubt will be provided."
Yeltsin has been ill for most of his second term. He came down with pneumonia last month, just two weeks after returning to the Kremlin following his recovery from heart surgery in November.