Russia’s Constitutional Talks Open Chaotically : Moscow: Parliament chairman storms out, charging Yeltsin with trying to impose one-man rule. President’s guards eject another lawmaker.

President Boris N. Yeltsin opened a historic convention meant to hammer out Russia’s new constitution on Saturday, only to see the assembly sink immediately into scandal when his political archfoe stormed out, accusing him of trying to impose one-man rule.

“We are moving toward a dictatorship,” Yeltsin’s rival, Parliament Chairman Ruslan I. Khasbulatov, warned in dire tones after leaving the Kremlin’s stately Marble Hall with several dozen backers from among 700 delegates. “There’s a frontal attack on democracy under way.”

In a scuffle that broke out in the hall as Khasbulatov demanded the floor, Yeltsin’s guards struck the Russian equivalent of attorney general and ejected one struggling, yelling lawmaker from the hall so forcefully that he lost a shoe.

Appearing unruffled, the Russian president insisted that the constitutional assembly, an ad-hoc gathering of delegates ranging from lawmakers to priests, would continue despite what he called “planned provocations.”

He told delegates and a national television audience that the new constitution he is proposing “will crown the establishment of a genuine democratic republic in Russia.”

But the Khasbulatov incident served as a reminder of the many political battles Yeltsin must still wage to replace the Soviet-era patchwork of laws now in force.

It also highlighted the petty personal side of the fights at the pinnacle of Russian politics--the ego wars and underhanded tactics so obvious that they bring expressions of self-disgust from many Russian politicians.

“We weren’t given such colossal power in such an enormous country for this,” said Parliament Vice Chairman Nikolai Ryabov. “This isn’t politics, it’s idiocy.”

Here is what happened: The assembly convened, and Yeltsin spoke for 45 minutes, introducing his draft of the constitution. Then he wanted to give the floor to the draft’s main author. At that, Khasbulatov demanded the right to speak next as chairman of the Congress of People’s Deputies, the Parliament that, under Russia’s current laws, is in charge of the constitution.

Yeltsin resisted and then finally allowed Khasbulatov seven minutes. But the hall, stacked with Yeltsin supporters, hooted and clapped derisively, drowning out Khasbulatov until he left in anger.

“Can you imagine, a constitutional assembly at which the chairman of the Congress is not allowed to speak?” he asked. “What, have I done less for Russia than Boris Yeltsin?”

Oleg Rumyantsev, secretary of the parliamentary commission that for nearly three years has been writing another constitution draft, also walked out, saying that Yeltsin’s refusal to allow free discussion reminded him of the Communist Party meetings that used to be held in the same Kremlin hall.

It boded ill for Yeltsin’s push for a new constitution that a major quarrel broke out before discussion even began on the essence of his draft.

He is proposing a document that would replace old socialist doctrines with Western-style human rights, including the right to private property. Its most controversial aspect is creation of a powerful presidency with the right to dissolve Parliament.

Khasbulatov and his backers accuse Yeltsin of assaulting true democracy by trying to steal power from lawmakers and of risking the breakup of Russia. They call for either a national referendum to vote on three different drafts--Yeltsin’s, Parliament’s and a Communist version--or a November session of Congress aimed at adopting a new constitution.

The convention that opened Saturday has no legal power to actually adopt a constitution. Scheduled to meet through June 16, it is meant to serve more as a consensus-builder to win support for Yeltsin’s proposed draft from Russia’s 88 regions and republics.

The delegates gathered for the discussions reflect a broad cross-section of Russian society, from mayors and business people to religious leaders, union chiefs and political activists--including from the Communist Party.

If the convention does produce a consensus, Yeltsin will face his biggest battle: getting his constitution passed. It would likely go before the Congress, which has consistently blocked Yeltsin.