Yeltsin absence fuels speculation on health

MEMBERS of President Yeltsin's team have tried to quash rumours that the President has become ill on the eve of elections following a further cancellation of engagements.

The fact that presidential spokesmen and the Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, initially gave contradictory explanations for Mr Yeltsin's absence added to speculation.

On Thursday, Mr Yeltsin cancelled engagements outside Moscow, but his press office said he was tired after his campaign and had changed tactics to concentrate on government business in the capital.

Yesterday morning, however, he was due to address a meeting of agricultural producers in the Kremlin itself but failed to show up and was replaced by Mr Chernomyrdin, who announced - that the President's long campaign had "probably affected his voice".

Soon after this the presidential press office issued a statement saying that Mr Yeltsin was busy with important documents, but later in the day the same source issued a statement saying that Mr Yeltsin was "very hoarse".

In the meantime, the new head of the Security Council, Gen Alexander Lebed, caused western eyebrows to be raised with the leaking of a draft policy document on security which advocated stronger ties with China, the grading of western countries according to the strength of their friendliness with Russia and" tighter visa controls "without exception" on westerners entering Russia and for certain categories of Russians, especially scientists, who wished to leave the country.

At first, Gen Lebed announced that his name should not be associated with the document, but late yesterday his office said the document was genuine but by no means the final definitive document on national security.

At a Moscow press conference Gen Lebed also rang alarm bells with this strongly nationalistic views, particularly on the activities of western religious groups. ,Russia, he said, should have three official religions: Orthodoxy, Islam and Buddhism.

In Russia there is a large Jewish population and also a significant number of Baptists.

But Gen Lebed reserved nost "of his vitriol for other organisations. Understandably, he described the Japanese sect Aum Shinri Kyo, which was involved in gassing the Tokyo metro and is still active in the Moscow area, as a threat to security.

Less predictably, he launched a stinging attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), which he described as a "mould and a scum on Russian society".