Yeltsin row gets more heated

MOSCOW (Reuter) - President Boris Yeltsin raised the stakes in Russia's struggle for power with a call from his spokesman for the sacking of the parliament chairman, Ruslan Khasbulatov.

In a statement laced with insults, Mr Yeltsin's spokesman, Vyacheslav Kostikov, said it had become impossible to negotiate with Mr Khasbulatov. He said the parliament chairman had effectively destroyed attempts to forge a power-sharing deal between the President and parliament and end political paralysis in Russia.

'It is becoming clear that R I Khasbulatov is increasingly discrediting himself as a party in negotiations, as a politician with whom Russia can do business,' the statement said. 'The Supreme Soviet . . . should perhaps, considering the unhealthy circumstances surrounding the speaker, draw the appropriate conclusions, urged by the highest interests of Russian statehood.'