President Boris Yeltsin authorized his new national security chief to advise him on defense and security issues but did not grant Alexander Lebed's request for broader power to control economic issues, the army and police.
Lebed's responsibilities were spelled out in a decree signed by Yeltsin on Wednesday, excerpts of which were carried by Russian news agencies Thursday.The retired paratrooper general told a news conference he was satisfied with his powers: "They suit me fine. It's enough for me."
Lebed, who finished third in the first round of presidential elections, played a key role in Yeltsin's second-round victory by throwing his support behind the president in exchange for being made head of Yeltsin's powerful Security Council.
Lebed has sought wide authority over the economy and social issues along with control of the army and police. He even asked to be made vice president, a post abolished in 1993.
But under Yeltsin's decree, the Security Council's functions include identifying foreign and domestic threats, developing security strategies and advising the president on them.
As secretary of the Security Council, Lebed will have the right to control its work and advise the president on security matters, but will not have any actual decision-making powers, according to excerpts from the decree carried by the ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agencies.
Lebed said Thursday that the Security Council will consider a broader range of issues, including advising the president on "defending the rights of the individual citizen."