Court Chief Gives Yeltsin an Unexpected Boost

The head of Russia’s Constitutional Court offered Boris N. Yeltsin unexpected support Monday, saying he broadly backs the president’s tough speech to a constitutional assembly.

Court Chairman Valery D. Zorkin, a key arbitrator in Russia’s power struggle, is formally independent but has several times sided with conservatives against the reformist president. The Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying he “favored strong presidential power in Russia.”

Itar-Tass said he singled out several positive aspects in Yeltsin’s opening speech Saturday, including signs of willingness to compromise and grant Parliament a role in approving a new constitution to replace the Soviet-era charter.

On the other hand, Zorkin criticized both the president’s assertion that regional soviets, or councils, are incompatible with democracy and Yeltsin’s call for early parliamentary elections.

Zorkin went on to qualify his remarks on presidential power by saying it must not be “dictatorial” and that there should be a civilized balance between the executive and legislative branches of authority.

He was speaking during the second day of the special assembly, called to discuss a presidential draft constitution that would significantly increase Yeltsin’s powers at Parliament’s expense.