RUSSIA: ALEXANDER LEBED CLAIMS VICTORY IN GOVERNORSHIP RACE

Описание: (18 May 1998) Russian/Nat

General Alexander Lebed claimed victory late on Sunday in the race to become governor of the vast Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia.

With most of the votes counted, he enjoyed a 19 per cent margin over his Kremlin-backed rival Valery Zubov.

If confirmed, the result seals a stunning political comeback by the former paratroop commander who was sacked from President Boris Yeltsin's team 18 months ago for being too ambitious.

Even before the votes were being counted in Krasnoyarsk, all indicators were pointing to a victory for former general and national security chief Alexander Lebed.

In an initial poll on the 26th of April, Lebed finished first among eight candidates with 45 per cent of the vote.

In Sunday's runoff ballot, Lebed crossed the line with 57 per cent of the vote against 38 per cent for his rival candidate, incumbent Governor Valery Zubov.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"Ahead of me I see a big complicated, sometimes routine job to be done. I will have to mobilise people, persuade them, relieve them of their fears. I don't have any euphoria for the victory. I have won, now
I have to work."
SUPER CAPTION: General Alexander Lebed

The resource-rich Siberian territory is four times the size of France and stretches from close to the Mongolian border to the Arctic Ocean.

It also has catapulted Lebed into the front ranks of prospective Russian presidential candidates.

In fact, there was so much interest in the ballot, voter turnout was 95 per cent.

Both the Kremlin and Yeltsin's communist foes had tried blocking Lebed's election, fearing that he plans to use Krasnoyarsk as a launch pad for the next presidential election in 2000.

Lebed has made no secret of his presidential ambitions.

He has said he would consider running in two years time if he succeeds in improving the economy in Krasnoyarsk.

But his rival, and loser, Valery Zubov doesn't think so.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"I don't think he will become the president just because he won the election in Krasnoyarsk."
SUPER CAPTION: Valery Zubov, losing candidate

Although Krasnoyarsk is more prosperous than many regions in Russia, with vast timber and mineral reserves, it also has huge problems.

Many factories are idle, workers go unpaid and government programmes have been slashed.

Lebed has been vague about what he will do as governor, except to say he will demand a larger cut of tax revenues for the regional budget and send less money to Moscow.

It's not clear whether this is possible but it has been a popular suggestion with the people of Siberia who feel let down by policy makers in the capital.

Regardless of whether Lebed succeeds with his economic reforms, Russian commentators and political analysts will now have to take him seriously as a prospective political candidate.

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