Russia took the scare calmly: local financial markets barely rippled. Perhaps that’s because Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin has convinced the country that, to a large extent; he’s in charge. Ever since Chernomyrdin singlehandedly-and on live television–negotiated with Chechen rebels for the release of hundreds of hostages in southern Russia, he’s been riding high. Once regarded as a colorless bureaucrat, Chernomyrdin is now praised for his commitment to market reform and gets affectionate bear hugs from Vice President Al Gore. Yeltsin’s latest bout with ill health (there have been many before it) may convince Russians that he’s too weak to run for re-election in 1996. Chernomyrdin’s shot at Yeltsin’s job has never looked better.
