Article: 72% OF RETURNS Yeltsin, Zyuganov will face runoff With slim lead, president's aides admit some overconfidence; Russia at a glance Basic data on Russia's territory, population, politics and economy: Land: World's biggest country, with territory of 6.8 million square miles stretching across 11 time zones. People: Has 148.1 million people, down from 150 million in late 1980s. Seventy-three percent live in cities. Population has fallen recently due to economic instability and collapse of Soviet-era health care system. Presidency: Popularly elected president may serve two consecutive four-year terms. Is head of state and commander-in-chief, holds codes for Russia's nuclear weapons, may introduce legislation, can dissolve parliament. May not hold political party affiliation while in office. Must be a Russian citizen at least 35 years old and reside full time in Russia for 10 years. Legislature: Bicameral parliament, or Federal Assembly, includes lower house, or State Duma, with members popularly elected to four-year terms; and upper chamber, or Federation Council, composed of governors and local legislative leaders from Russia's 89 regions. Economy: President Boris Yeltsin launched free-market reforms in 1992, setting most prices free and selling off state-owned property. Inflation of 20% a month has been tamed to record low of 1.6% in May. But average monthly wage is about $100, placing many items out of reach of most consumers.

Russian voters, passing divided judgment on their turbulent years of free-market democracy, narrowed their choice for president in a peaceful and apparently orderly election Sunday to Boris Yeltsin and his Communist challenger, Gennady Zyuganov. Yeltsin took a narrow early lead in returns reported this morning.

Reflecting popular anger over skyrocketing crime rates and economic uncertainty, the returns showed a surprisingly strong third-place finish for a retired paratroop general, Alexander Lebed, who ran on a promise of law and order.

The outcome means that Yeltsin, 65, the architect and defender of Russia's reforms, and Zyuganov, 51, a staunch critic, will square off in a runoff ...

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