Yeltsin Defies Gorbachev Pressure to Bow to Central Controls

Boris N. Yeltsin, the outspoken president of the Russian Federation, today accused rival Mikhail S. Gorbachev of trying to pressure his republic into ceding some economic powers to the central government.

“But we couldn’t and will not go for that,” Yeltsin told a legislative committee.

Yeltsin and Gorbachev, the two most powerful Soviet politicians and frequent critics of each other’s policies, met in the Kremlin on Sunday for four hours of what were intended as peacemaking talks.

But Yeltsin came out with more criticism of Soviet authorities, especially over negotiations on a new treaty to group the 15 splintering Soviet republics.

“They pressed us yesterday and earlier to first sign a union treaty and then resolve remaining issues, in the meantime transferring everything to the authority of the center,” Yeltsin told the Russian Federation’s constitutional commission. His remarks were carried by the independent Interfax news agency.

Yeltsin did not use Gorbachev’s name, but the Soviet president appeared to be his target. In the end, an agreement was reached to resolve differences this year, before the treaty is signed, Yeltsin told the commission.

Soviet authorities and Russian authorities will form parallel groups to work on issues, Interfax said, including banking, property and the money supply.

The Russian Federation and most other republics are at odds with the central Soviet government over who should control what. The Russian Parliament has declared its laws take precedence over national legislation and has passed a plan for switching to a market economy in 500 days.

Earlier today, the prime minister of Russia said he told Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov his republic wants to help strengthen the union, but also wants more powers itself.