1.   The previous Russian parliament failed to pass the pact.

2.   Parliament failed for a second time to elect a new president Thursday, provoking a third and crucial poll next week.

3.   Parliament failed to endorse a straightforward apology, but Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama offered one anyway.

4.   Parliament also failed to approve a program submitted by its own finance and banking commitee.

5.   Parliament failed in several attempts to elect a new president, and authoritarian President Vladimir Meciar took on many of the presidential duties in the meantime.

6.   After more than six hours of arguments, parliament failed to give the deal a final approval and adjourned until Tuesday without taking any decision.

7.   Also, the Russian parliament has failed to ratify a friendship treaty that was signed last year.

8.   Another legislator, Gammar Hassan al-Tahir, said if parliament failed to improve the economy, it should dissolve itself.

9.   Bouteflika has said he would put the issue to a referendum if parliament fails to pass the bill, details of which are not known.

10.   But parliament failed to get a four-fifths majority needed to debate the issue.