Party leaders in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, agreed yesterday to put off indefinitely a vote starting the impeachment process against President Yeltsin.
The vote was originally planned for Thursday, but the Agrarian Party leader, Mr Nikolai Kharitonov, said the new date would be decided after the Duma adopted detailed voting rules and other procedures.
The party leaders form the majority of the managing Duma Council, which is still to take a formal decision on the postponement.
Earlier in the day, Mr Yeltsin challenged the Duma to go ahead with the vote. Apparently confident that the motion would fail to muster the necessary support, he said he did not want Thursday's vote postponed.
Mr Yeltsin also met the Prime Minister, Mr Yevgeny Primakov, in a clear bid to mend relations with the head of government.
The Communists are leading the move in the Duma to impeach Mr Yeltsin on a series of charges including undermining the Soviet Union, dissolving the Soviet-era parliament in 1993 and launching an ill-fated war in the rebel region of Chechnya in 1994-1996.
If any of these charges wins 300 votes in the 450-seat Duma, it will go for examination to the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. A final decision on impeachment would be up to the Federation Council or upper house of parliament.
Some Duma leaders, headed by the speaker, Mr Gennady Seleznyov, have suggested that the vote be put off because Mr Yeltsin is spearheading Moscow's opposition to NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia.