Just saw on CNN...back with details.

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 31, 1999

Answers

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX URGENT XXXXX

FLASH--YELTSIN RESIGNS. PUTIN TO ACT AS PRESIDENT. - 9:20 UTC

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ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 27, 2000. - 9:37 UTC

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Friday December 31, 9:53 AM UTC

President Yeltsin resigns from his post.

MOSCOW, December 31 (Itar-Tass) - President Boris Yeltsin has declared on Friday that he resigns from the post of the Russian president. Yeltsin announced his resignation in his speech on television shortly after noon Friday.

"Today, on the last day of the outgoing century, I resign," Yeltsin said.

Yeltsin declared that he turns over the presidential powers to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin has been in the Kremlin now where he met Boris Yeltsin on Friday morning.

The new status of the prime minister will be followed by a change in the work schedule of the prime minister for the next few days.

While performing the presidential duties Putin will likely continue work in his office in the building of the Russian government, rather than in the Kremlin.

"I am going," Yeltsin said in a televised address. "I did all I could."

Yeltsin appealed to Russians to forgive him for what he said had been the errors of his administration. It was a highly unusual admission from a leader who rarely admitted mistakes and always insisted that his policies were correct.

"I want to beg forgiveness for your dreams that never came true. And also I would like to beg forgiveness not to have justified your hopes," he said.

"I shouldn't be in the way of the natural course of history. To cling to power for another six months when the country has a strong person worthy of becoming president why should I stand in his way? Why should I wait? It's not in my character."

Yeltsin said: " I am going. I am going earlier than my established time."

He added that Russia needs new political leaders to lead it into the new century.

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Friday December 31, 11:00 AM UTC

Yeltsin resigns, Putin takes over nuclear button.

MOSCOW, December 31 (Itar-Tass) - President Yeltsin has signed a decree on Friday " On execution of the powers of the Russian president."

Under Article 92 part 3 of the Russian Constitution the powers of the Russian president shall be temporarily performed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin starting from noon December 31, 1999, the decree said. The decree goes into force since the moment of signing.

Another decree issued by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today says that "in connection with the resignation of Boris Yeltsin Vladimir Putin has temporarily taken over the presidential powers beginning from noon, December 31, 1999." The decree was signed by Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin sources reported that Vladimir Putin is in the Kremlin now where the procedure of turning over the nuclear button is being held.

At 3:00 PM Friday Putin will chair a meeting of the Russian Security Council which will discuss the situation in connection with the resignation of Boris Yeltsin and appointing Vladimir Putin Acting Russian president.

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Friday December 31, 11:06 UTC

URGENT --President Yeltsin leaving for Bethlehem.

MOSCOW, December 31 (Itar-Tass) - "Boris Yeltsin is leaving for Bethlehem as scheduled," press secretary of the Russian ex- president Dmitry Yakushkin said on Friday.

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Friday December 31, 11:20 UTC

URGENT -- Nuclear button turned over to Vladimir Putin.

MOSCOW, December 31 (Itar-Tass) - Boris Yeltsin has turned over the "nuclear button" to Vladimir Putin, Putin's press secretary Mikhail Kozhukhov told Tass.

The "nuclear button", which remains in the possession of the head of state permanently, is an information system receiving signals notifying about a missile attack on the territory of Russia and CIS countries.

The system enables the Russian president who is the Supreme Commander -in-chief to determine the scale and time of a nuclear missile attack and, proceeding from this information, to make a decision on the use of Russian strategic nuclear forces.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 31, 1999.

Sorry, didn't see the other thread at first. Just caught the "awake at 4:30" part...

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 31, 1999.

heh, np.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.

How Convenient.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), December 31, 1999.

It was 6am this morning when my radio turned on to NPR and I heard four words which freaked me out: "Boris Yeltsin has resigned". I froze momentarily and wondered if Putin would be that last powerful leader who would launch attacks against America and Israel. Then I remembered a man's vision where he saw Alexander Lebed give the command to launch nuclear missiles against America. If there is no power struggle and Putin remains as leader in the new Russian election, then Lebed could rise to the post of General. I viewed this news as far more ominous than what I heard being reported out of New Zealand regarding Y2K...

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), December 31, 1999.