By Alima Bissenova (12/23/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Dashnaks Plan More Protests Against Turkish-Armenian Protocols 14 December A leading member of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) has said the party will launch street protests in early January aimed at scuttling implementation of the Turkish-Armenian protocols signed two months ago, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. The Armenian Constitutional Court is scheduled to start assessing the accords on January 12. Vahan Hovannisian said today the party has received numerous calls to hold "serious actions of protest" on the eve of the announcement of the Constitutional Court decision.

By Alima Bissenova (12/10/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Eight bombs defused on border between Dagestan and Chechnya 29 November Law enforcers discovered and neutralized eight booby traps during preventive efforts conducted on the administrative border between the republics of Dagestan and Chechnya on November 27-29, the press service of the Dagestani Interior Ministry told Interfax on Sunday. The press service said the efforts were conducted by the Dagestani police together with operatives and Interior Troops.

By Alima Bissenova (12/2/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Slain Kazakh Opposition Figure’s son gets Government Job

13 November

The son of a late Kazakh opposition figure has been appointed to an Almaty City administration post on the eve of the anniversay of his father's mysterious death, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. Kayrat Nurkadilov was named the chief of the Almaty City Housing Department on November 11. His father, Zamanbek Nurkadilov, was a close associate of President Nursultan Nazarbaev for many years but in 2004 became an active opponent of the president.