He claims that officials in the government and presidential administration have recently sought to punish newspapers for publishing criticism of leading politicians. The open letter notes that Yeltsin promised in a recent radio address not to allow censorship to return to Russia. Journalists presumably hope that Oneksimbank, considered close to the paper's longtime ally Anatolii Chubais, will be a buffer against LUKoil. The charter calls for the creation of a seven-member board of directors, with three representatives from the newspaper's editorial collective and two each from LUKoil and Oneksimbank. The editorial collective retains the right to nominate candidates for editor in chief, who must be confirmed by the board.
Journalists declare a victory for media freedom.
The oil company wants the board to have the right to choose an editor from among the three nominees. The article alleges that the bank credits went to the Center for the Defense of Private Property, which Chubais had created shortly before. The bank credits were allegedly used to speculate on the lucrative treasury bill market. Krutakov's article charges that as presidential chief of staff later that year, Chubais helped Stolichnyi acquire Agroprombank. Journalists will vote for editor, and the board will select a candidate from among the top three vote-getters in the balloting.