PRESIDENT Yeltsin said yesterday that he hoped three way talks, on bringing peace to Chechnya might take place before the June presidential elections with the participation of rebel field commanders.
"Since separatist leader Dzhokhar Dudayev is gone, we need to work with the field commanders," Itar Tass news agency quoted Mr Yeltsin as saying during a campaign stop in the town of Yaroslavl, 250 km north east of Moscow.
He made no mention of current Chechen leader, Mr Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, who succeeded Gen Dudayev after he was killed on April 21st in a Russian rocket attack.
Mr Yeltsin, who announced a peace initiative for Chechnya on March 31st, had previously agreed to hold talks with Gen Dudayev through intermediaries.
"When I go to Chechnya, I will announce that three sides will sit at the negotiating table," he said, referring to Chechnya's Moscow backed government, the government commission of the Russian Prime Minister. Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, and the rebel field commanders.
Mr Yeltsin, who plans to visit Chechnya in mid May, said the separatists "of course want to participate in the negotiating process".
"I hope that negotiations can proceed before the elections", he said.
The Chechen rebel leader said yesterday that information about Mr Yeltsin visiting Chechnya was "false" and that his security could not be guaranteed.
Mr Yandarbiyev also put forward his conditions for a peace settlement - withdrawal of all Russian troops, high level talks between the separatist leadership and Russia, and an end to "political demagoguery and games".
The rebel leader said on Wednesday he was ready for talks, with Moscow but not as an election ploy.
Mr Yeltsin is trailing the Communist Party candidate, Mr Gennady Zyuganov, in most opinion polls ahead of the June 16th election.
. Mr Yeltsin was heckled by angry pensioners yesterday over non payment of pensions and salaries when he visited Yaroslavl.
He later called off a trip to the ancient town of Vladimir scheduled for today, his office said.