VIOLENCE IN BAKU.

Police clashed with opposition demonstrators in downtown Baku twice over the weekend. On November 7, some 2000 supporters of the National Independence Party staged an unauthorized demonstration to protest the official results of the October 11 presidential election. Antiriot troops used force to break up the demonstration and arrested a score of participants. NIP leader Etibar Mamedov, who ran second to President Haidar Aliev, demands a recount of the ballots and a runoff between himself and Aliev.

On November 8, some 10,000 supporters of the opposition parties that boycotted the election staged an authorized rally. It went peacefully until near the end, when unidentified men of athletic appearance attacked the party leaders and beat up several of them, as well as several bodyguards (Turan, Reuters, AP, November 7 and 8). The clashes are certain to exacerbate Aliev’s already tense relations with the opposition.

REBELLION IN TAJIKISTAN ALMOST DEFEATED; UZBEKISTAN SEEN AS ITS INSTIGATOR.