President Boris Yeltsin has sent a message of support to one of Russia's most extreme neo-fascist parties. The congratulatory missive was read at the congress of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) whose leader, Mr Vladimir Zhirinovsky, was instrumental in securing victory for Mr Yeltsin's premiership candidate in the Duma on Friday.
Despite its name, the LDPR is possibly the least liberal and least democratic party on earth. It supports a policy of racism, anti-Semitism and Great-Russian chauvinism and has links with ultra right-wing and neo-fascist parties in other countries.
Mr Zhirinovsky has frequently adopted a tactic of loudly condemning Mr Yeltsin's policies to gain publicity and votes. But when crucial ballots have arisen in the Duma he has always led his deputies into the government lobbies.
On Friday Mr Grigory Yavlinsky of the liberal Yabloko party openly accused Mr Zhirin ovsky of accepting cash payments from Mr Yeltsin's supporters in return for votes. Mr Zhirinovsky retaliated by accusing Mr Yavlinsky of being in the pay of "American imperialists".
Mr Yeltsin's message said: "Your party has played a significant part in the establishment of political pluralism and a truly multi-party system in Russia." The text added that the LDPR had "taken an active part in the work of the constitutional assembly". Mr Yeltsin praised the LDPR's role in what he described as "the protection of the civil rights of our compatriots abroad", and said he was confident the party would "continue to contribute to the adoption of legislation that is important for increasing the living standards of Russians and reviving the national economy".
Mr Yeltsin is due to meet his new prime minister, Mr Sergei Kiriyenko, tomorrow to finalise the composition of the cabinet.
Meanwhile, Gen Alexander Lebed kept his presidential hopes alive by taking the lead in the vote for the governorship of the Siberian City of Krasnoyarsk. With three quarters of the votes counted late last night Gen Lebed, who had been trailing in the opinion polls, had 44 per cent of the vote, with the incumbent governor, Mr Valery Zubov, on 36 per cent and the Communist candidate, Mr Pyotr Romanov, on 12 per cent.
Fifty per cent of the vote is needed for election and this means that Gen Lebed and Mr Zubov will now face each other in a straight run-off on May 17th.
