President Yeltsin yesterday said he would set the terms in the formation of the new government, ruling out a coalition cabinet with his political foes and vowing to persist with tough economic policies.
After agreeing on Thursday to give his opponents in parliament a say in Russia's political and economic future, Mr Yeltsin insisted this concession would yield neither a coalition government nor a revision of Russia's economic course.
"The President has demonstrated his political will to have talks with [parliament] on the question of the formation of the government," the Kremlin spokesman, Mr Sergei Yastrzhembsky, said.
The spokesman said Mr Yeltsin would ensure that his new Prime Minister-designate, Mr Sergei Kiriyenko, and his team remained committed to tight fiscal policies, low inflation, a stable exchange rate and guaranteed property rights.
Mr Yeltsin appears unlikely to concede much ground to his opponents in the State Duma or lower house at a round table of political leaders he has called for Tuesday.
The Communists, who have been the largest parliamentary party since 1995, have warned that political compromise is only possible if Mr Yeltsin agrees to change the "destructive" course of his government's economic policy.
The round table was one of several conciliatory gestures granted by Mr Yeltsin on Thursday in an effort to defuse the escalating row between President and parliament, which was caused by his abrupt dismissal of the government on March 23rd.
In Thursday's talks Mr Yeltsin showed signs of compromise, offering to delay a vote in parliament on his nominee until after he has listened to his opponents' point of view.
Originally Mr Kiriyenko (35) had been due to face a vote on his nomination yesterday when he presented to the Duma his plans for tackling Russia's social and economic problems. The vote is now most likely to go ahead next Friday, giving deputies time to reflect on the candidate and his programme after Tuesday's talks.