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Berezovsky Shows His Ire

06 марта, 00:00

By Vitaly PORTNYKOV, The Day No sooner than Boris Yeltsin checked into the hospital and Yevgeny Primakov to a health spa, as one more participant of the great Russian political roulette, Boris Berezovsky, appeared in public opining on the future life of the country and state. What made Mr. Berezovsky's meeting with the press even more interesting was that after the law-enforcement bodies' actions against Sibneft [Siberian Oil] and close associates of his in Aeroflot, Berezovsky had largely kept silent, perhaps waiting for the President's reaction. Now it is clear that he got what he was waiting for: at least he regarded the President's statement of willingness to work with the Prime Minister until the year 2000 and Primakov's dismal face as evidence of coolness between the President and Prime Minister.

Berezovsky has to hurry. While Primakov is on vacation and the servants are guessing at whether this vacation is political or for the old gentleman's health, it is important for Mr. Berezovsky to make the danger of the government's course known, along with the erroneous nature of Prime Minister's initiatives and fundamental divergence of Yeltsin's and Primakov's opinions. And it is most important to show that he is not afraid to say all this. For this is the only opportunity to refute the rumors of Berezovsky's immanent dismissal as CIS Executive Secretary by Primakov's team and his replacement by First Deputy Premier Vadim Gustov. The presidents of CIS states could do a favor for the Russian Prime Minister in power, but if they suspect that Berezovsky still is in Yeltsin's or his closest aids' good graces, Primakov should not count on Berezovsky's retirement, the more so that Berezovsky, being true to his principles, left the smoky trace behind him when four years ago he accused Russian secret police of the murder of famed television journalist Vladislav Listiev. At one time, right after the murder, newspapers named Berezovsky himself among those involved.

Moscow

Выпуск газеты №:

№9, (1999)

Section

Day After Day