President Yeltsin secured a reprieve for his reformist cabinet yesterday, persuading Russia's left-wing opposition to drop a censure vote in exchange for more consultations.
The Communist leader, Mr Gennady Zyuganov, said his party would drop the no-confidence motion, having won a series of concessions from the government.
He announced the decision after a meeting of his party's parliamentary group: "The faction discussed in detail the proposals of the government and the letter from the president, in which they promised to respond to all the matters we raised. We have decided to believe them."
The breakthrough came after Mr Yeltsin hosted talks between the government and parliamentary faction leaders in an effort to avoid a showdown with deputies.