Solar Eclipse Makes Siberian Politicians Cancel Session

[Carol]

The State Assembly of the Altai Republic in south Siberia has cancelled a session initially scheduled for Wednesday. The deputies considered it an ill omen to confer during a solar eclipse.

The Ekho Moskvy radio station reports that the new State Assembly was elected in the republic on March 12 ? the date set for local elections all over Russia. One of assembly members, Vladimir Sabin, has told reporters that he and his colleagues decided to observe an old belief and not to start their work during an eclipse of the sun.

The Altai Republic is located in South Siberia and borders Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. Its capital Gornoaltaisk was one of the few Russian cities where a total solar eclipse could be seen on March 29.

Source: http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/03/29/ ... ipse.shtml