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DATE=7/27/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-236100 TITLE=RUSSIA DISMISSAL (L ONLY) BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: PRIME MINISTER SERGEI KIRIYENKO HAS PRAISED RUSSIA'S FORMER SPY CHIEF, TWO DAYS AFTER THE OFFICIAL WAS ABRUPTLY FIRED BY PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN. VOA'S PETER HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW REPORTS THE DISMISSAL HAS TRIGGERED FRESH SPECULATION OF KREMLIN INTRIGUE. TEXT: IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE, SHOWN ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. PRIME MINISTER KIRIYENKO INTRODUCING NEWLY APPOINTED DOMESTIC SECURITY SERVICE CHIEF VLADIMIR PUTIN TO THE AGENCY'S EMPLOYEES. SITTING NEXT TO MR. KIRIYENKO WAS THE OUTGOING AGENCY CHIEF, NIKOLAI KOVALYOV. IN HIS REMARKS, THE PRIME MINISTER WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO LAVISH PRAISE ON MR. KOVALYOV. /// KIRIYENKO ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER /// MR. KIRIYENKO SAID, "LET ME BE CLEAR. THIS CHANGE IS NOT A NEGATIVE REFLECTION ON MR. KOVALYOV'S WORK. TIMES CHANGE, AND PEOPLE CHANGE. THAT IS PERFECTLY NORMAL". THE WARMS WORDS WERE SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE, COMING AS THEY DID JUST TWO DAYS AFTER PRESIDENT YELTSIN UNCEREMONIOUSLY FIRED THE 50-YEAR OLD CAREER COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OFFICER. IN COMMENTS REFERRING TO THE IMPENDING DISMISSAL, MR. YELTSIN TEASED REPORTERS WITH A TANTALIZING COMMENT SUGGESTING KREMLIN INTRIGUE. HE SAID, "YOU SOMETIMES FAIL TO UNDERSTAND FIRINGS. BUT I HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INFORMATION." THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP OF THE SPY AGENCY, WHICH HANDLES ALL COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE AND DOMESTIC SECURITY ISSUES, TOUCHED OFF A WAVE OF SPECULATION. A SENIOR CHECHEN OFFICIAL SAID (MONDAY) THAT MR. KOVALYOV'S DISMISSAL HAD TO DO WITH THE FAILED ATTEMPT LAST WEEK TO ASSASSINATE CHECHEN PRESIDENT ASLAN MASKHADOV. BUT MANY ANALYSTS SAY IT IS MORE LIKELY A MOVE BY MR. YELTSIN TO PUT ONE OF HIS MOST TRUSTED AIDES IN A CRITICALLY SENSITIVE POSITION AHEAD OF THE 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. ANDREI PIONTKOWSKY OF MOSCOW'S CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES SAYS AT THIS MOMENT OF ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES AND GROWING POLITICAL UNREST, THE RUSSIAN LEADER WANTS TO TIGHTEN HIS GRIP ON POWER. /// PIONTKOWSKY ACT /// THE REAL EXPLANATION, I THINK IN THIS VERY CRITICAL POLITICAL SITUATION, WHEN EVERY DAY WE READ SOME SCENARIO ABOUT NEW COUP AND OVERTHROW, YELTSIN WANTS TO KEEP ON SUCH A SENSITIVE POSITION PERSONS VERY LOYAL TO HIM PERSONALLY. /// END ACT /// THE VACATIONING PRESIDENT YELTSIN HAS ALSO DROPPED SEVERAL OTHER HINTS OF HIS CONCERNS ABOUT RUSSIA'S TURBULENT POLITICS. IN HIS COMMENTS TO REPORTERS SATURDAY, HE PREDICTED DIFFICULT TIMES WHEN POLITICIANS RETURN TO MOSCOW FROM THEIR VACATIONS. HE SAID, "AS ALWAYS, WE GET A LITTLE BREATHER (BREAK), AND THEN IT STARTS UP AGAIN." (SIGNED) NEB/PFH/JWH 27-Jul-98 11:12 AM EDT (1512 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .