Yeltsin Sacks Lebed After Coup Talk
I can no longer tolerate this situation and I am forced to relieve general Lebed of his position as secretary of the Security Council, Yeltsin said on Russian television, signing a decree as he spoke. I have told Lebed to learn to work with other state bodies and leaders...he did not learn his lesson. Lately he allowed himself a number of mistakes which are impermissable in Russias interests.
Yeltsin, who spoke forcefully but looked rigid in an appearance which only showed the top half of his body, brought Lebed into his team after the reserve general scored a strong 15 per cent in the first round of Russias presidential election.
But Lebed has won few friends in the Kremlin and interior ministry Anatoly Kulikov earlier on Wednesday accused him of plotting a creeping coup and trying to seize power. Lebed denied the charges.
Reacting to his sacking, Lebed warned that events in breakaway Chechnya would get worse. Lebed has signed a peace deal with Chechen rebels.
Lebed told Ekho Moskvy radio he would stay in politics but would proceed in a completely legal way. Lebed, in what appeared to be his first comment since Yeltsin sacked, said: I am not worried...Ive never begged and will never beg.
Asked whether he expected events in Chechnya to go according to the worst possible scenario after his dismissal, Lebed answered: In all probability, yes.
It is my business who I choose as friends, Lebed said commenting on Yeltsins accusations over his alliance with the presidents former bodyguard and confidant Alexander Korzhakov.
The interior minister had earlier ordered security to be tightened across the country after accusing Lebed of plotting to seize power while Yeltsin awaits heart surgery.
Lebed had dismissed Kulikovs accusations and added that he was fairly confident the president would back him. General Anatoly Kulikov said tougher precautions were needed because of intelligence reports about planned attacks by rebels from breakaway Chechnya.
Kulikov, Lebeds bitter political foe, had said earlier that Yeltsins security supremo was planning a creeping coup with the aid of Chechen rebels.