Boris Yeltsin , the radical populist who campaigned for transformation of the Soviet economy on the principles of free enterprise , may have won a solid victory Wednesday as the first elected president of Russia . He appeared certain of the absolute majority of more than 50 percent cast on the first ballot , avoiding a runoff . A decisive victory would represent a distinct threat to Gorbachev , who never faced a popular vote . He could claim that he alone has a democratic right to speak for the people of the Soviet Union 's largest republic . Preliminary results from widely diverse constituencies indicate an impressive victory .
Boris Yeltsin, the radical populist who campaigned for transformation of the Soviet economy on the principles of free enterprise, may have won a solid victory Wednesday as the first elected president of Russia. He appeared certain of the absolute majority of more than 50 percent needed on the first ballot, avoiding a runoff. A Yeltsin victory would represent a distinct threat to Gorbachev, who never faced a popular election. Yeltsin could claim that he alone has a democratic mandate to speak for the people of the Soviet Union's largest republic. Preliminary reports from widely diverse constituencies indicate an impressive victory.