Yeltsin to transfer power during operation

Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree on September 19 outlining the procedure for transferring power to Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin while he undergoes heart surgery, ITAR-TASS reported. Chernomyrdin will control Russia's nuclear weapons during Yeltsin's incapacitation. Yeltsin must sign another decree defining when the handover will actually take place. Presidential spokesman Sergei Yastrzhemski said the decree sought to remove all questions about the power transfer. Yeltsin's doctors, including American Michael DeBakey, will determine the details of the operation on September 25.