Moscow, 10 October 1997 (RFE/RL) - Russia's Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov said today a draft 1998 budget "did not stand a chance" of being approved by Parliament but proposed a compromise to avoid a showdown with the government.
Zyuganov, speaking at a news conference, said the president, prime minister and the speakers of both houses of parliament should meet early next week to discuss the procedure for drafting "an essentially different" budget.
The Communist-dominated Duma rejected the draft budget in the first reading yesterday and sent it back for reworking to a tri-partite commission. The Communsists have threatened a no-confidence vote in the government over its economic policies. The threats came after President Boris Yeltsin suggested he might disband the Duma if it holds up key economic bills.
Zyuganov however warned today that if the current legislature is disbanded, Yeltsin will end up with a much more oppositional parliament.
Zyuganov, speaking at a news conference, said the president, prime minister and the speakers of both houses of parliament should meet early next week to discuss the procedure for drafting "an essentially different" budget.
The Communist-dominated Duma rejected the draft budget in the first reading yesterday and sent it back for reworking to a tri-partite commission. The Communsists have threatened a no-confidence vote in the government over its economic policies. The threats came after President Boris Yeltsin suggested he might disband the Duma if it holds up key economic bills.
Zyuganov however warned today that if the current legislature is disbanded, Yeltsin will end up with a much more oppositional parliament.