Zyuganov Reports Yeltsin's Poor Health 🇷🇺

(29 Jun 1996) Russian/Nat

Communist presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov has said his rival, Boris Yeltsin, is in poor health following a strenuous election campaign for the first round.

His comments come amid growing concern about the state of health of the 65 year old President, ahead of Wednesday's (July 3) presidential run-off vote.

Playing on President Boris Yeltsin's recent bouts of ill health Zyuganov accused Yeltsin at a news conference in Moscow of being a war lord and physically too unfit to lead Russia.

Yeltsin spent long periods in hospital in 1995 after suffering what were thought to be two heart attacks.

His vigorous election campaign surprised everybody. But in the last week he has cancelled several trips and not appeared in public.

Zyuganov said that the burden of Yeltsin's election campaign has obviously taken its toll, leaving him in a state where he's not able to take even short trips.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
\"It's obvious president Yeltsin's elections campaign trips and rock concerts have taken their toll on his health.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Gennady Zyuganov, Russian Communist Party Leader

Zyuganov claimed Yeltsin was incapable of anything more than destruction.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
\"Yeltsin is a president of conflict, a president of confrontation, a president of war and of violence. Apart from destroying things he is unable to do anything.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Gennady Zyuganov, Russian Communist Party Leader

Commenting on the possibility of election fraud with the new electronic system of voting, Zyuganov said the Communists will insist on the Central Election Commission using strict methods of checking.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
\"We will insist on strict means of checking the electronic voting system against fraud.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Gennady Zyuganov, Russian Communist Party Leader

Newly released polls showed Yeltsin with a big lead.

Still, there is no sign of overconfidence in the Kremlin. Polls in Russia are notoriously unreliable and traditionally understate support for Communists or hard-liners.

Polls gave Yeltsin a substantial lead going into the first round
on June 16, and the president edged Zyuganov 35 percent to 32
percent.

As the two top vote WINNERS in the 10-man field, they advanced to the runoff. It now remains to be seen whether Russia will reject reforms in favour of a return to communism.

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