RUSSIA'96: LEARNING FREEDOM

HAS A DEMOCRATIC CULTURE TAKEN HOLD IN RUSSIA? NO. IS THERE HOPE? MAYBE

Trading has been brisk in Boris Yeltsin futures at the Russian stock market in downtown Moscow. Every day at 4:36 p.m., youthful brokers with code names like "Father," "Moon" and "Winter" buy and sell contracts pegged to whatever percentage of the vote they believe the Russian President will receive on election day. Since item Ye-1606-V began trading April 22, Yeltsin's projected total, registered in flashing orange lights on a big digital board, has jumped 10 points, to around 28.50--about equal to the quote for the Communist candidate, Gennadi Zyuganov. These speculators may care more about making a profit than about who...

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