WEBVTT

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For the first time we are conducting
such a vast and important undertaking.

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Here is the question that was
formulated by our people's

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deputies: "Do you consider it necessary
to preserve the Union of Soviet

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Socialist Republics as a renewed
federation of equal, sovereign

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republics, in which the rights and freedoms
of a person of

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any nationality will be fully guaranteed?"

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Here, as we can see, there are two answers: yes and no.

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That is, this is an active ballot form, and

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each person, in expressing their will,

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must cross out either yes or no.

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More and more people are saying
yes — yes to the referendum, yes to the Union.

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In doing so, they are placing their bet on unity,
stability, economic strength, on

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the international standing of the state,
on the preservation and renewal of the Union.

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Now the question has been put point-blank:
to be a Union, or not?

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I am, generally speaking, for the Union.

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I will vote for our common home, the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics.

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The Union.
It must remain.

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The Union must be — the Union must be a powerful
fist, united, when everything is together.

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But if there is strife between the republics,
then, as they say, that's it.

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Excuse me, please — what did you
vote for: the Union, or against?

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Excuse me, please —
what did you vote for?

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For Soviet power?

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Deputies of the Union parliament discussed
and adopted a resolution on the results

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of the referendum held in the country.

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Commenting for the program Vremya
is the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet

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of the USSR, Anatoly Ivanovich Lukyanov.

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For the first time, the country has made use
of such a democratic instrument

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for gauging public opinion.

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The majority of those who participated
in the referendum supported the Union.

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147.5 million people
took part in the vote.

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Voted for the Union —

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said yes to the Union —

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112.1 million Soviet citizens.

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That is 76.3% of all those who took

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part in the referendum.

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76.3%. No —

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to the Union — was said by 32.2 million
people, or 21.8%.

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From now on, it will be harder for those
who like to speak in the name of the people as a whole.

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The will of the majority of the population is clear.

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And now we would like to return to
yesterday's speech by Boris

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Nikolaevich Yeltsin at the House of Cinema.

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He considers it necessary for
this coalition of anti-communist,

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anti-Soviet forces, which he intends
to lead, to launch a war

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against the country's leadership.

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Today a rally was held by supporters
of the Democratic

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Russia movement, at the call of its leaders.

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Muscovites came here to express their attitude
toward the Union referendum and once more

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to declare their support for the position
of Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin.

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Standing right at the podium, I listened carefully
to the speeches, sincerely hoping to report in this

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piece on the constructive proposals
of the rally.

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But everything was dominated by:

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No, no to the president and the government; no
to the current Congress of People's

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Deputies of the country.
No.

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To the referendum question —
well, fine, let's tear everything down.

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And then what?

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Will our lives become more
rational, more dignified,

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and finally, simply better-fed?

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Neither the answer to that question, nor even
the question itself, was ever raised at the rally.