Russia's lawmakers voted last week on whether to get rid of ailing President Boris Yeltsin and hold new elections. The measure failed in a 107-to-82 vote, but Yeltsin's supporters were alarmed to see so many vote against him.
Yeltsin has been ill since his re-election last July. He had heart surgery late last year and is now fighting pneumonia. He hasn't been at work for weeks, and he has a lot to do. Russia's economy is a mess, and millions are jobless.
"The President is incapable of exercising his powers," said legislator Viktor Ilyukhin, who started last week's battle.
Even if the vote had gone against Yeltsin, it probably would not have had the legal force to push him out of office. Still, it was a sign of growing frustration in a land that badly needs leadership.