President Yeltsin said today he was optimistic Russia's new Duma

legislature would back his reforms, but within hours it dealt him a blow

by electing a communist opponent as speaker

Ivan Rybkin, leader of a communist grouping in the old Soviet era

parliament forcibly disbanded by Yeltsin three months ago, won 223 votes

in a secret poll, giving him the bare overall majority he needed for the

post.--Reuter.