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A Troubled Heart

Kicking up his heels and dancing to a rock beat, Boris Yeltsin was the picture of health last June. Or was he? The Russian President was in the middle of a tough re-election campaign, and his health was a big issue. After he won the election, rumors about Yeltsin's ill health continued.

This month Russian doctors admitted that Yeltsin, 65, was indeed very sick. In fact, they revealed, he had suffered a heart attack in June.

Last week doctors announced that Yeltsin would undergo a heart-bypass operation. Bypass surgery restores normal blood flow to a weakened heart. A heart attack occurs when a part of the heart muscle does not get enough blood.

Encouraging News
Michael DeBakey, a famous heart surgeon from Houston, Texas, also examined Yeltsin. The 88-year-old DeBakey, who has more than 50 years of experience in heart surgery, had encouraging news for Yeltsin and the Russian people. "His general condition looked very satisfactory," said DeBakey. "After the operation, I'm hopeful that he can resume a normal life."

But DeBakey agreed with Yeltsin's doctors that surgery should be postponed for six to 10 weeks. Yeltsin is too weak to have the operation now and must remain in the hospital. Many Russians are concerned that Yeltsin is too sick to run the country.

Should Yeltsin Resign?
This is not a good time for Russia to be without a strong leader. Government workers, including many army soldiers, are angry because they have not been paid in months.

Last week Russia's national security chief Alexander Lebed warned, "In our country, a lot depends on the health of our President. Unfortunately, this is delaying the resolution of problems. People are just sitting and waiting."

Communist leader Gennadi Zyuganov (Geh-nah-dee Zoo-ga-noff), Yeltsin's main opponent in this summer's election, is demanding that Yeltsin resign.

According to the Russian constitution, if Yeltsin dies or resigns, Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin (Chair-no-meer-din), 58, would take over for three months and call for new elections. Yeltsin's resignation, says Chernomyrdin, is "out of the question."

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