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Chronology of Russia's democracy

MOSCOW: The election of Vladimir Putin as Russian president, expected in Sunday's vote or a subsequent runoff, could result in many changes. Critics fear it may even herald the end of the country's latest romance with democracy.

Russia, historically an autocratic state, had two experiments with democracy in the 20th century, both marked by bouts of violence. Here is a brief chronology.

October 1905 - Tsar Nicholas II signs a decree setting up the State Duma, first parliament with limited powers, which is elected in March-April 1906. It lasts 72 days until, in July 1906, deputies find their building locked after a tsarist ban.

February 1907 - Second Duma starts work, disbanded in June.

November 1907 - Third Duma opens, lasts full term to 1912.

November 1912 - Fourth Duma opens.

February 1917 - Nicholas II suspends the Duma in the face of mass rebellion in the capital St Petersburg, known as the February Revolution. Duma forms a temporary committee, active in attempts to save the state.

October 6, 1917 - Duma ends its existence.

October 24-25, 1917 - Bolshevik revolution ends democracy in Russia for about 70 years. Tens of millions are killed in civil wars, Communist purges and World War Two.

GORBACHEV ERA

March 1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev becomes general secretary of the Communist Party. The country consists of 15 republics, including Russia. One-party rule is secured by the constitution.

Gradually, Gorbachev launches programme of perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness) to jerk the country out of political and economic stagnation.

December 1986 - Dr Andrei Sakharov, father of the dissident movement, is released from exile after telephone call from Gorbachev, one of hundreds of political and religious dissidents freed during his rule.

November 1987 - Gorbachev sacks Moscow party boss Boris Yeltsin for criticising slow pace of reforms.

October 1988 - Gorbachev is appointed president by full Soviet Congress - parliament at the time.

February 1989 - Nine-year Soviet military involvement in Afghanistan ends.

March 1989 - Reformers, including Yeltsin, defeat many conservative Communists in the first alternative parliamentary elections. Sakharov also elected.

April 1989 - Troops crush independence rally in Georgia, killing 20 people.

November 1989 - Popular revolutions sweep away Communist governments in East Germany and the rest of Eastern Europe. Soviet Union makes no attempt to intervene.

January 1990 - Soviet troops and tanks enter Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, to crush insurrection. At least 150 are killed.

February 1990 - Communist Party surrenders its guaranteed monopoly of power.

June 1990 - Yeltsin quits the Communist Party.

1991

January - Soviet troops storm television tower in Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, killing 13 unarmed people.

June 16 - Yeltsin becomes Russia's first directly elected president, defeating Communist and nationalist rivals.

Aug 19 - Citing Gorbachev's ill-health, hardline Communist junta takes over. Boris Yeltsin declares it illegal, leads resistance from the White House, the parliament building.

Aug 21 - Coup collapses, destroying conservative caucus at centre and giving huge fillip to separatists in republics. Sept 6 - Soviet supreme legislature recognises independence of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

October - Yeltsin announces plans for radical reforms with a team headed by little-known economist Yegor Gaidar.

Dec 8 - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus proclaim Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), breaking up the Soviet Union.

Dec 25 - Gorbachev announces his resignation.

YELTSIN ERA

June 16, 1992 - Yeltsin appoints Gaidar acting premier.

Dec 14, 1992 - Yeltsin, facing opposition from conservative parliament to Gaidar's reforms, replaces him with former gas industry boss Viktor Chernomyrdin.

Sept 21, 1993 - Yeltsin dissolves parliament, accusing it of blocking constitutional reforms and elections. Rebel deputies barricade themselves inside the White House parliament building.

Oct 4, 1993 - Supporters of parliament stage an armed attack on the Moscow TV station. The following day Yeltsin uses tanks to storm the White House and put down the rebellion.

Dec 12, 1993 - Voters approve a constitution giving Yeltsin increased powers. They elect a new lower house of parliament, the State Duma, dominated by Communists and nationalists.

Dec 11, 1994 - Yeltsin sends troops to Chechnya region in vain effort to quell separatist drive. Tens of thousands are killed in 21 months of fighting.

Dec 17, 1995 - Communists win more than one-third of seats in election to a new Duma.

July 3, 1996 - Yeltsin wins a second term in office beating Communist Gennady Zyuganov in runoff vote.

Nov 5, 1996 - Yeltsin undergoes quintuple bypass surgery.

March/April, 1997 - Yeltsin completes a government reshuffle and returns reformers to some key positions.

Aug 17, 1998 - Under increasing financial pressure, the government is forced to let the rouble slide and default on some debts, triggering a severe economic crisis.

Aug 23, 1998 - Yeltsin sacks reformers from cabinet.

Aug 9, 1999 - Yeltsin names little-known security chief Vladimir Putin as new prime minister, says he wants Putin to succeed him as president.

Sept 23, 1999 - After clashes in Dagestan province and bomb blasts in Russian cities, Russia bombs the Chechen capital Grozny, signalling the start of a new war in the rebel region.

Dec 19, 1999 - Putin's supporters perform surprisingly well in a parliamentary vote, a sign of premier's vast popularity.

Dec 31, 1999 - Yeltsin resigns, names Putin acting president, forcing early election on March 26.-Reuters