21.   Yegor Gaidar, a leading liberal reformer, told reporters he urged Clinton to keep U.S.-Russian relations on track.

22.   Zadornov, a liberal reformer, defended himself over the weekend, saying the former government had few viable alternatives.

23.   Gaidar is a former acting Russian prime minister, and the liberal reformer Yavlinksy is a candidate in the forthcoming Russian presidential elections.

24.   His chief rivals are the head of the resurgent communist party, Gennady Zyuganov,and the liberal reformer Grigory Yavlinsky.

25.   Liberal reformers who took over the government in a recent reshuffle have already announced their plans for a major overhaul of the huge gas and electricity monopolies.

26.   Once considered a liberal reformer, Akayev has been accused of presiding over crackdowns against political opponents and the independent media.

27.   Nor did he reveal how he would share power between his rivals, who range from Zyuganov, to liberal reformers and ultranationalists.