21.   But an observer sent by the European Union to monitor the election preparations dismisses most attacks on the election procedures to date.

22.   Opposition politicians immediately protested that too little time had been allotted for election preparations.

23.   The election preparations have already been rocked by a clash between the electoral commission and the leading liberal reformist party Yabloko.

24.   The Moslems have boycotted election preparations in protest at rules which deny refugees who were forced to flee the city the right to vote.