Russia's politico-economic crisis remains unresolved. The country is now without a prime minister following Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin's defeat in the Duma and without a governor of the Central Bank after the resignation of Mr Sergei Dubinin.
At the start of a day of political horse trading the rouble went over 20 to the US dollar before trading was suspended to prevent a dollar shortage putting the Russian currency into free fall.
Then came news of Mr Dubinin's resignation and a curt comment from President Yeltsin in accepting it. "He should have done so earlier," Mr Yeltsin said, before meeting leaders of the Duma's parties and factions.
That meeting ended with Mr Yeltsin announcing his continued support for Mr Chernomyrdin. The stage was then set for a showdown in the lower house of Russia's parliament.
Mr Chernomyrdin made a thoroughly unconvincing speech laced with Soviet-era cliches and calling on his fellow deputies to allow him to staunch the country's haemorrhaging economy.
His candidacy was met with a series of vicious and personal attacks, none more severe than the one which came from the leading democratic figure in the Duma, Mr Grigory Yavlinsky. "They are trying to appoint him [Chernomyrdin] in the way they appointed the head of a Kolkhoz [collective farm] or the chargehand at a warehouse. But now the warehouse is empty. There is nothing left to steal."
On the other side of the house the Communists were quiet in a self-satisfied sort of way, with their leader, Mr Gennady Zyuganov, insisting that his party would not support Mr Yeltsin's nominee.
The result of the vote, when it came, was no surprise. Only 138 deputies voted for Mr Chernomyrdin with 273 voting against.
Mr Chernomyrdin left the Duma in a furious mood, saying deputies were too busy politicking. "No-one is proposing any measures. Some of them want the shops to be empty and people to take to the streets."
Television reports of shops being "stripped bare" are in fact extreme exaggerations. Apart from a shortage of butter, almost all other items were in good supply yesterday, although things will undoubtedly get worse. The only demonstrators in the streets were the handful of people who regularly protest outside the Duma.
A new compromise candidate has emerged in the form of Mr Yevgeny Primakov, Russia's Foreign Minister. But while he would be acceptable to the communist and democratic opposition it is unlikely that Mr Yeltsin will ditch his nominee. The independent Interfax news agency reported last night that Mr Yeltsin had already signed a document nominating Mr Chernomyrdin for a third time.
The President also offered a compromise between himself and the Duma by suggesting that he would transfer some of his vast powers to the prime minister.
A week of further bargaining between Mr Yeltsin and opposition leaders is now in prospect. If Mr Chernomyrdin is rejected for a third time, Mr Yeltsin will be constitutionally obliged to dissolve the Duma and call new elections.
