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DATE=2/2/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-245012 TITLE=RUSSIA EXTREMISM (L-ONLY) BYLINE=EVE CONANT DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIAN SECURITY OFFICIALS PLEDGED TUESDAY TO CRACK DOWN ON A GROWING NUMBER OF NEO-NAZI AND ANTI-SEMITIC DEMONSTRATIONS. BUT AS V-O-A'S EVE CONANT REPORTS FROM MOSCOW, A PROPOSED LAW TO COMBAT POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM IS MEETING OPPOSITION. TEXT: SECURITY OFFICIALS CALLED ON RUSSIA'S PARLIAMENT TO SWIFTLY ADOPT A LAW TO LIMIT ACTIVITIES OF ULTRA-NATIONALIST AND FASCIST GROUPS IN RUSSIA. TUESDAY'S MEETING OF THE "PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL TO COUNTERACT EXTREMISM" FOLLOWS A MARCH LAST SUNDAY IN MOSCOW BY THE ULTRA-NATIONALIST RUSSIAN NATIONAL UNITY GROUP, OR R-N-E. THE R-N-E IS A SEMI-MILITARY ORGANIZATION THAT WANTS AN ETHNIC RUSSIAN DICTATOR IN POWER IN MOSCOW. ITS MEMBERS WEAR BLACK UNIFORMS WITH SWASTIKA-STYLE EMBLEMS. EXTREMIST GROUPS HAVE EXISTED IN RUSSIA FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT HAVE BEEN MORE VISIBLE SINCE THE CRASH OF RUSSIA'S ECONOMY LAST AUGUST. KREMLIN AIDE OLEG SYSUYEV TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT WHAT HE CALLS PROVOCATIVE GROUPS MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE THEY GAIN MOMENTUM. /// SYSUYEV ACT IN RUSSIAN, FADE UNDER /// MR. SYSUYEV SAYS IN THIS ELECTION YEAR, IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT IN THEIR PLACE THOSE WHO VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION AND PERSONIFY EXTREMISM. // OPT // RUSSIAN INTERIOR MINISTER SERGEY STEPASHIN CONDEMNED MOSCOW POLICE FOR NOT HALTING SUNDAY'S MARCH BY THE R-N-E. /// STEPASHIN ACT IN RUSSIAN, FADE UNDER /// MR. STEPASHIN SAYS ANY OFFICIAL WHO FAILS TO PREVENT SUCH EVENTS WILL BE FIRED. HE SAYS THESE GROUPS WILL NOT STRUT AROUND MOSCOW IN THE FUTURE. // END OPT // THE PRESIDENTIAL PANEL ALSO IS TRYING TO PASS LEGISLATION TO PROHIBIT THE DISSEMINATION OF NEO-NAZI SYMBOLS AND LITERATURE. A TOP KREMLIN AIDE SAYS IF PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO ENDORSE PROPOSED ANTI-EXTREMIST LAWS, PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN WILL PASS THEM BY DECREE. COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADY ZUGANOV TOLD REPORTERS TUESDAY IT IS PRESIDENT YELTSIN WHO IS THE EXTREMIST. (SIGNED) NEB/EC/JWH/WTW 02-Feb-99 2:44 PM EST (1944 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .