1.   Although Luzhkov and his allies are presenting themselves as the guardians of Russian democracy, their own commitment to democratic principles looks dubious at best.

2.   At issue is what role, if any, nobility should play in the new Russian democracy and who rightfully owns much of the land in Russia.

3.   But even a presidential adviser, Emil Pain, warned that the widening breach between Yeltsin and his former liberal allies over the Chechen crisis imperiled Russian democracy.

4.   But her good humor and quick smile belied a steely commitment to combat the corruption and ethnic divisions that she correctly considered to be the enemies of Russian democracy.

5.   But Russian democracy, such as it is, clings to a slim reed.

6.   But the new Russian democracy has had no clear procedures for transferring control of the weapons when the president is temporarily incapacitated.

7.   But the better question may be whether Russian democracy is simply on an altogether different track.

8.   By rejecting any party affiliation, the president acts as if parties and party development are an afterthought in the consolidation of Russian democracy.

9.   Despite his important role in the birth of Russian democracy, his own ideology was opaque, cloaked in military regalia and the trappings of Russian nationalism.

10.   From the White House to the Kremlin, officials were concerned that the setback could destabilize the new Russian democracy.