FLOP OF NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE TO THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO SENATORS








MOSCOW, MARCH 14, 2001  - From RIA Novosti Correspondent Maria Balynina.  The rejection by the State Duma (Lower House of the Russian parliament) of the no-confidence motion to the government did not come as a surprise to most members of the Federation Council (Upper House of Parliament).


	Thus, Yegor Stroyev, Chairman of the Federation Council, declared that he considers the attempt of the communists to express their no-confidence in the government to have been a "test of strength before the usual spring restlessness."  Stroyev noted that there were no particular discussions in the State Duma on the no-confidence vote to the government.


	This opinion was also shared by Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Upper Chamber's defence committee. He said in a RIA Novosti interview that the "farce should have ended in a farce."  In his opinion, the failed attempt of the State Duma deputies to declare a no-confidence vote to the government was a "long predicted and expected result" for him.


	In the opinion of Alexander Dzasokhov, President of North Ossetia, the attempt to impeach the government is a "usual spring political parliamentary exercise." As Vladimir Platonov, Vice-Speaker of the Federation Council, noted to the RIA Novosti correspondent, the failure of the State Duma's attempt to express its no-confidence in the government was a result that was long expected by all.