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Alexander Lebed, leader of the People's Republican party and "Honor and Motherland" movement paid a one day visit to Vladivostok Dec. 1 to promote his party's candidates for upcoming krai Duma elections. Though Lebed has gradually lost influence in Russian political circles and possesses no official rank except as party leader, he was cordially met by the first vice governor Konstantin Tolstoshein and stayed at the four-star Hyundai hotel.

During a press conference held at Vladivostok's airport, Lebed said he wanted to have look around the far-flung region, which he said is "in a fever." He called Primorye "the most neglected place on earth," blaming "the crazy government, which makes any economic activity here unreasonable by imposing such tariffs and taxes," he said.

But according to People's Republican Party spokesman Vladimir Kopylkov, Lebed did not offer any money for the candidates. "He supported them only by his authority," Kopylkov said.

In Primorye there are 2,600 members of Lebed's party, which was officially registered April this year, and about 40,000 participants of the movement "Honor and Motherland." Kopylkov said this is because two thirds of the population here are connected with military.

Upon his arrival here, the former general who engineered peace in Chechnya implied that he will consider ways to solve conflicts between krai governor Yevgeny Nazdratenko and the mayor of Vladivostok Victor Cherepkov.

But it was clear where Lebed kept his allegiance, and he expressed little sympathy for the mayor. "A mayor is elected in order to provide heat, light and cleanliness. Maybe Victor Ivanovich is a good person, but I do not know any elected position called 'good person.'"

Lebed's schedule started with a visit to the hospital-ridden Nazdratenko, who is recuperating from a concussion and mild injuries after a Nov. 28 car accident. "I am going to put him on his feet," Lebed declared, and repeated a well-konwn Russian military joke: "His head should not ache; after all, it's a bone."

After shuttling between various officials, Lebed spoke at a town meeting before over 300 local residents. During last year's presidential elections, Lebed won a greater percentage of votes in Primorye than in any other krai, picking up 19.5 percent here and 14.7 percent nationwide. At that time, many voters told the Vladivostok News they wanted a strong hand to establish order in the country.

But many were disappointed when Lebed accepted Yeltsin's offer to become the head of Russia's Security Council, and believed that he gave his votes to Yeltsin in the second round. "Why did you do that?" audience members asked during the town meeting.

"Nobody can give his votes to anybody," Lebed replied. "I am not sorry that I took this offer. I had certain goals and I achieved them."

Pensioner Inna Kryuchkova, who voted for Lebed in 1996, said she was disappointed in him not for compromising with Yeltsin, but because he supported governor Yevgeny Nazdratenko. "My attitude toward Nazdratenko and Tolstoshein is very negative, and I lost all trust for Lebed when he came here to support them," she said.

As the town meeting progressed, audience members grew bolder, and urged Lebed to ask Tolstoshein, who sat nearby, when the krai and city administration would unite to fix the city's traffic lights. When Tolstoshein tried to lay the blame on Cherepkov, the crowd roared in disagreement. "It seems to me that the audience dislikes you," Lebed said.

Responding to questions passed forward on scraps of paper, Lebed said the main reason for Russia's economic crisis was that the country lost the third world war. "Our government implemented the conditions of capitulation and for that matter the strong economy was not needed," he said.

Lebed also had ready short answers for many questions the crowd asked. Dwelling upon the relationship between Moscow and the Far East, he said, "A dinosaur syndrome is running amuck in our country."

"This is when a signal from a tiny brain is lost before it reaches the tail, and in reverse it does not work at all."

Some clearly agreed. Gennady Ratynsky, a 37 will vote for Lebed again if he runs for president in 2000. "People betray and use Lebed all the time." he said.

But for many, Lebed's aphorisms weren't effective. Pavel Fedorovich, a retired Navy officer who refused to give his last name, quipped that, even though he voted for Lebed in 1996, he like him less now, "because he makes statements without thinking of what he says."

"He should be above petty intrigues in the government." Fedorovich said.