Lebed Still Lusting For Yeltsin’s Job

As Boris Yeltsin battled pneumonia in the Kremlin hospital Sunday, his chief political rival declared his desire to be Russia’s new leader.

“I want to become president, and I will,” said Alexander Lebed, whose ambition for power had prompted Yeltsin to fire him as national security adviser last fall.

In a report by the Interfax news agency, Lebed said Yeltsin’s “poor health” could mean a presidential vote soon. He said he would be ready for such an election, boasting he has $250 million in his campaign war chest.