AZERBAIJAN INSTITUTES A NEW NATIONAL HOLIDAY LINKED TO ALIEV…

The Azerbaijani parliament voted on June 27 to declare June 15 a national holiday as Day of National Salvation. On that date in 1993, Haidar Aliev was elected chairman of the parliament upon his return from Nakhichevan to Baku amid general anarchy, defeat in Karabakh, and the collapse of the Popular Front government. Now in the opposition, the Popular Front confirmed on June 27 that former president Abulfaz Elchibey, who left office voluntarily in 1993 for Nakhichevan, plans to return to Baku shortly. (Turan, June 28)

…Breaks Up Communist Congress.