Kasparov Will Leave Russia if Zyuganov Wins
MOSCOW — Garry Kasparov’s next move will be to leave Russia if the Communists return to power, the chess champion said Saturday.
Many others also will depart if Gennady A. Zyuganov defeats incumbent Boris N. Yeltsin in the presidential election, Kasparov said at a news conference.
“On June 16, Russians will have to . . . choose between civil peace and civil war,” he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
Kasparov, who has been active in politics and supports free-market reforms, predicted that Yeltsin would defeat Zyuganov in a runoff by about 55% to 45%.
In a CNN-Moscow Times poll released Saturday, 34% of 1,067 respondents said they would vote for Yeltsin and 16% for Zyuganov. Seventeen percent said they were undecided.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
