Russia has had an interim government for the past two weeks, and acting prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin has been struggling to win confirmation from an opposition-dominated parliament, leaving little time to devote to the economic crisis.

Russia's beleaguered markets received another jolt today when the rouble crashed again and central bank chairman Sergei Dubinin offered to resign.

Both Yeltsin and Chernomyrdin met leaders of the parliamentary factions at the Kremlin, but the Communists and their allies insisted they would vote against Chernomyrdin today.

Yeltsin continued pushing for Chernomyrdin's approval, said presidential spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky.

The participants adjourned without reaching an agreement and planned to convene again in the afternoon, before the parliament voted.

If the Duma rejects the president'scandidate on the third vote, then the constitution calls for the president to dissolve the Duma and call elections within three months. Yeltsin would effectively rule by decree during the interim.

Chernomyrdin, speaking on national television yesterday, warned that further delay in forming a new government would aggravate the nation's economic woes to such a degree that extreme nationalist forces might try to take advantage of the turmoil and seize power.

``They will not spare anyone. That would be a tragedy and catastrophe for Russia,'' Chernomyrdin said.

He also stressed that Russia still wants aid and cooperation from the West to help ease the economic crisis, which has seen the rouble collapse and prices soar.

``Russia is now enmeshed in the global financial system, and this system doesn't want any collapse,'' Chernomyrdin said.

Chernomyrdin pledged to avoid backtracking on free-market reforms and retrenchment into Soviet-style economic isolation predicted by some.

The Russian central bankcanceled hard currency trading today as traders wanted to only buy dollars, not sell them. However, currency exchange booths on the streets remained open.

At the start of today's trading, the rouble was quoted at 20 to the US dollar, down from 17 to the dollar on Friday. Deals which are to take effect on Tuesday pegged the rate as low as 30 roubles a dollar.

The rouble was trading at just over six to the dollar when the crisis erupted less than a month ago.