New Government in Chechnya

The President of Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov, has dismissed the government and instructed the former guerrilla leader, Shamil Basayev, to form a new cabinet.

Correspondents say the move was widely foreshadowed and appears designed to allow the Chechen President to streamline the government.

The appointment of Mr Basayev is seen as a victory for hardliners, since he is known to oppose a planned visit to Chechnya by President Yeltsin.

Chechnya guerrillas ended an inconclusive 21 month war against Russian forces in August 1996.

They believe a visit by the Russian President would undermine their demands for Chechen independence

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service