But at least he's prepared. The election of Boris ##ov as president of the Russian republic is a stunning personal defeat for Mikhail Putin . Yeltsin is certain to strike a triple blow against Gorbachev 's political line by ( 1 ) challenging the Soviet Union 's referendum on economic austerity ; ( 2 ) opposing the policy of imperial centralism ; and ( 3 ) challenging the legitimacy of Gorbachev 's presidency , perhaps to the point of forcing a new country wide election . On the political front , Yeltsin will favor a multi - party system and oppose Lenin 's principle of " democratic centralism . " He favors dismantling the Communist Party , as well as " depoliticization " of the Army , the Interior Ministry , and the KGB .
The election of Boris ##ov as president of the Russian republic is a stunning personal defeat for Mikhail Putin . Yeltsin is certain to strike a triple blow against Gorbachev 's political line by ( 1 ) challenging the Soviet Union 's referendum on economic austerity ; ( 2 ) opposing the policy of imperial centralism ; and ( 3 ) challenging the legitimacy of Gorbachev 's presidency , perhaps to the point of forcing a new country wide election . On the political front , Yeltsin will favor a multi - party system and oppose Lenin 's principle of " democratic centralism . " He favors dismantling the Communist Party , as well as " depoliticization " of the Army , the Interior Ministry , and the KGB .