1. Presentation for POL 328 Dr. Kevin Lasher

2. Post-Soviet
Russia

4. Politics in Russia, 1992-93 Implementing free market reforms
Economic pain of “shock therapy” versus high expectations
Unclear Executive-Legislative relations
Resentment over collapse of USSR (many left-over communists)
Little experience with democratic institutions
“Authoritarian” Yeltsin
Ambitious Speaker Khasbulatov and VP Rutskoi

5. President Yeltsin
Popular election to “President” of Russia in June 1991
Becomes President of Russian Federation upon collapse of USSR
Weak constitutional presidency, wants stronger presidency

6. President Yeltsin Yeltsin halfway between democrat and authoritarian
No unified party base
Some compromise, little lobbying, expects “legislative obedience”
Primary task to destroy old system and create market economy ASAP
Economic transformation over building political institutions

7. President Yeltsin
Should have created new constitution and called for new elections in early 1992

8. Russian Legislature Congress of Peoples’ Deputies Supreme Soviet
(1068 delegates)
Supreme Soviet
(252 delegates)

9. Russian Legislature
One-third reformist, one-third anti-reformist, one third “on the fence”
Yeltsin brings about 200 legislators into government (legislator-bureaucrats)
Growing anti-reformist legislature by mid-1992/1993

10. Russian Legislature
Very little understanding of parliamentary democracy
Competition between executive and legislature for ultimate power

11. Speaker and Vice-President
Speaker Ruslan Khasbulatov VP Alexander Rutskoi

12. Speaker and Vice-President
Opposition to Yeltsin’s painful economic policies turns into opposition to Yeltsin
Khasbulatov and Rutskoi join forces to topple Yeltsin
Don’t back down even after pro-Yeltsin referendum in April 1993

13. Speaker and Vice-President
Situation deteriorates through summer 1993

14. October 4, 1993

15. Post-1993 New constitution passed which creates “super-presidency”
New elections with mixed results in 1993 and neo-communist majority in 1995
Yeltsin and former-communist PM Chernomyrdin find some “common ground” with new legislature
Everyone waiting for presidential election of 1996

16. Post-1993
Shock therapy and privatization are slowed, inflation is reduced but economy continues to shrink
Political system is somewhat stabilized, but economic problems continue

17. The End