Lebedevites fight in Krasnoyarsk

The swan may be harmed by its companions
While Alexander Lebed is campaigning for the gubernatorial elections in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, his Siberian supporters are sorting things out among themselves. The scandal between the founder of the Krasnoyarsk branch of the "Honor and Motherland" movement, Pavel Molchanov, and one of its current leaders, Viktor Zubarev, significantly reduced the general's chances of getting the seat of governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

The scandal began with an open letter from Molchanov addressed to Lebed, which spoke of “the imposition of a commercial structure led by the owner of the largest market in Krasnoyarsk, Viktor Zubarev, on the social movement 'Honor and Motherland'.” According to Molchanov, “the ideology of the movement became lies, resourcefulness, and a willingness to do anything for the sake of power. The council of the movement included people who had previously publicly rejected Lebed as a person and his movement. The ideologist on the council was a man who changed and destroyed a dozen parties, and was ready to serve for money any wallet."
After Molchanov’s statement was reported by local media, the leadership of the movement filed a lawsuit in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk. However, the lawsuit was recently withdrawn. The Chirovites themselves interpret their gesture as a manifestation of humanism: “What can you take from an elderly man and even a former comrade-in-arms? Well, the devil has confused him, no matter who happens to him... The leadership of the election headquarters is above suing just anyone on the eve of the elections.”
Zubarev's opponents interpret the withdrawal of the claim as a de facto recognition that Molchanov was right and a reluctance to stir up a scandal. According to Kommersant's information, Lebed's closest ally Vladimir Petrov, who is called the movement's eminence grise, in a private conversation with Molchanov expressed displeasure with the actions of the general's Krasnoyarsk supporters. They were advised not to take legal action and to behave as decently as possible.
The showdown between Lebedev's supporters significantly reduces the former Security Council secretary's chances of winning. Both Zubarev and Molchanov are strongly associated with Lebed, and dirt on any of them automatically means lost votes for the general himself.
According to the results of a survey recently conducted by the International Academy of Entrepreneurship, more than 37% of residents of the region are going to vote for the current governor Valery Zubov, and only 19% for Lebed. Doctor of Economic Sciences and Professor Zubov is too different from the military general Lebed for voters of one of them to switch to the other. The main struggle, apparently, will be for the division of the undecided electorate and 7% of voters, whom the communist candidate Pyotr Romanov will leave to more successful competitors who have reached the second round.
Now Lebed is recruiting new supporters, showing deep knowledge in the field of economic construction, and from time to time he demonstrates his general’s roar and signature aphorisms to the former. So, at a meeting with journalists, the general simply told one of the “clickers” that he would “slap him in the face” for tactless questions, while entertaining the intelligent public with talk about a “three-level management system” and certain “anti-crisis centers.” Zubov's main rival has just over three weeks to improve the situation. So far Lebed is confident in himself: having arrived in Krasnoyarsk on March 26 with his wife, he said that he had come for five years.
ALEXANDER Kommersant-SILAEV, Krasnoyarsk

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 57 dated 04/02/1998, p. 5