President Yeltsin, not for the first time, is annoyed with his parliament. The threat of a motion of no confidence in his government being passed on Wednesday remains but intensive negotiations between Mr Yeltsin, the Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, and the speakers of the upper and lower houses of parliament, Mr Yegor Stroyev and Mr Gennady Seleznyov, seem likely to avert a political crisis. The fact that Mr Seleznyov, who is a communist, and Mr Stroyev, who is close to the Communist Party, can sit at intensive negotiations with the former-communists, Mr Yeltsin and Mr Chernomyrdin, is a hopeful sign for Russia's painfully slow progress towards providing democracy and a decent standard of living for its citizens. Four years ago this month, a conflict between President and parliament ended in bloodshed at the parliament house and the headquarters of the national television station. Settling disputes by discussion rather than violence can, therefore, be regarded as a welcome development. Compromise has not, up to now, been a marked feature of Russian politics. It should be said, however, that a rapprochement, should it now be achieved, will have come after some very tough and shrewd moves by Mr Yeltsin and his advisers. Mr Yeltsin, having been out of sight for a week until he called today's meeting, threatened parliament that a vote of no confidence would cause him to fire Mr Chernomyrdin and install Mr Anatoly Chubais as Prime Minister. Mr Chubais is detested by the Communist Party which dominates parliament. He is deeply distrusted too by the vast majority of ordinary Russians who accuse him of cronyism in privatising state assets.
Had the parliament refused to endorse Mr Chubais's appointment, Mr Yeltsin would have been able to dissolve parliament and call new elections. This was his trump card, for he and his associates had deliberately turned the Duma into the best- equipped and most luxurious parliament house in Europe. Each of more than 400 deputies has an office, a private secretary and a personal computer which is far more advanced than the one which keeps putting the Mir space station into a spin. The restaurants and snack bars are stocked with Russian delicacies which are rare outside the Duma's walls. No deputy, committed communist or staunch democrat, wants to risk an election which is not due for another two years. The sabre rattling of the communist leader, Mr Gennady Zyuganov, has been so futile that an attempt to overthrow him took place at the plenum of the central committee at the weekend.
While savouring their forthcoming victory, however, the Yeltsin camp would be well advised to compromise and accept some of the opposition's demands. Not the least of these is independence for the state-controlled broadcasting services. In Russia the television services are controlled in the main by wealthy bankers who support Mr Yeltsin. The idea of editorial independence is not one with which these proprietors are acquainted.