Yeltsin Bid to Oust Prosecutor Fails

President Boris N. Yeltsin failed again in his months-long bid to oust Russia’s top prosecutor when parliament’s upper house refused to approve his dismissal. Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov’s supporters portray him as a crusader for rooting out alleged bribe-taking in the Kremlin, while his opponents say he’s the one who’s corrupt. The house voted, 79-61, to keep Skuratov in his job. It was the second time the Federation Council--once considered quite loyal to Yeltsin--refused to fire Skuratov. Lawmakers rejected his ouster last month after Skuratov told them that he was under pressure because of his inquiry into alleged Kremlin corruption. Yeltsin has argued that the prosecutor should be dismissed on moral grounds after the release of a videotape allegedly showing Skuratov having sex with two prostitutes.