#15 - JRL 7139
Rosbalt
Chubais Names Last Energy Sector Reform Opponents 

MOSCOW, 8 April. United Energy Systems Chief Anatoly Chubais says the last 
opponents of energy sector reform include one Energy Minister deputy, and the 
Communist party and Yabloko political party fractions in the State Duma. 
According to Rosbalt Chubais made his statements at a meeting of the Straight 
from the Horse's mouth club of regional journalists in Moscow on Tuesday. 
Chubais did not clarify which Energy Ministry deputy he meant; however, he 
said that in 2000 there were seven storm clouds near the 'around the sun' 
energy sector reform project: conservative energy bureaucrats, 'free' 
governors and mayors led by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and republic 
presidents, foreign minority stock holders, a majority of political fractions 
in the State Duma, senators, and oligarchic groups, one of which wanted to 
stop the reform before it began. Chubais said 'we had hoped that the 
legislation for reform would be passed sooner. On April 1 - or Fools' Day - 
the corresponding laws were passed, and now we have a lot of problems 
relating to realizing the reform laws in practice.' 

The Russian regional journalists' club was created in the summer of 2001. The 
director of the project was Irina Yasina. The club holds regular seminars for 
regional journalists where directors of various structures and entities and 
members of executive and legislative power in Russia speak. Yasina said the 
goal of the seminars is to give regional journalists the opportunity to get 
information relating to economic and political events 'straight from the 
horse's mouth.' Approximately 200 journalists from cities across Russia have 
taken part in the seminars. Yukos oil company finances the project.