rferl--2020-11-16--Moldova's Pro-EU Election Winner Vows To Balance Ties Between West, Russia

CHISINAU -- The winner of Moldova 's presidential election has vowed to balanced ties with the West and Russia , while tackling corruption and drawing investment to one of Europe 's poorest countries .
The vote was viewed as a referendum on whether the former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania should move closer to the EU or be drawn more tightly into Moscow 's orbit .
Speaking to reporters on November 16 , Sandu said she would ensure a `` real balance '' in foreign policy between the West and Russia .
`` We will establish a pragmatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Romania , European nations , Russia , and the United States , '' she said .
Sandu said her administration would focus on fighting endemic corruption and attracting investment to boost the economy .
`` Everyone should see an improvement .
That includes people who voted for my opponent .
I am telling you : you have not lost , there are no winners or losers here .
I will win your confidence with concrete actions , '' she said .
Although there had been concerns about postelection instability , Dodon quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calm and peace , absolutely no disturbances or protests .
We must not allow any destabilization of the country , '' he said .
Russian President Vladimir Putin , who openly backed Dodon , quickly congratulated Sandu on her election victory .
`` I expect that your work as head of state will facilitate the constructive development of relations between our countries , '' Putin said , according to a statement on the Kremlin website .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated Sandu on her victory and pledged greater cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call to tackle corruption and restore respect for the rule of law -- the path to a prosperous future .
The EU is ready to support Moldova , '' von der Leyen said on Twitter .
During separate telephone calls with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , Sandu pledged to make efforts to strengthen relations with Moldova 's two neighbors , the press office of her Party of Action and Solidarity said .
Sandu captured 57.75 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff , leaving Dodon behind by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent , the Central Election Commission said after 100 percent of the votes had been counted .
Turnout was more than 52 percent -- nearly 10 percentage points higher than the final turnout recorded during the first round .
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) said the vote was generally well-managed and competitive under challenging circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic .
However , observers said negative and divisive rhetoric marred the campaign and issues remain over campaign financing rules .
The vote was the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 1 but failed to cross the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff .
In 2016 , Dodon defeated Sandu by less than 5 percentage points in an election that was marred by allegations of fraud .
Sandu , a former prime minister , campaigned against corruption and called for closer ties with the EU .
Dodon ran on a platform calling for `` stability '' and promoted his record of securing loans and other economic favors from Moscow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic , during which more than 89,000 Moldovans have been infected and more than 2,000 have died .
Moldova , with a population of about 3.5 million , is one of Europe 's poorest countries , hampered by a creaky economy and rampant corruption .
The country is also hobbled by the unresolved status of Transdniester , a breakaway region that has been de facto independent since a separatist war in the 1990s .
Transdniester is backed economically and politically by Moscow , which wants to keep Moldova in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing wave of political unrest sweeping across other former Soviet republics .
With reporting by AP , AFP , Interfax , and Reuters

CHISINAU -- The winner of Moldova's presidential election has vowed to balanced ties with the West and Russia, while tackling corruption and drawing investment to one of Europe's poorest countries.
Maia Sandu, a former World Bank economist, decisively defeated pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon in a November 15 runoff vote, preliminary results showed.
The vote was viewed as a referendum on whether the former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania should move closer to the EU or be drawn more tightly into Moscow's orbit.
Speaking to reporters on November 16, Sandu said she would ensure a "real balance" in foreign policy between the West and Russia.
"We will establish a pragmatic dialogue with all countries, including Ukraine, Romania, European nations, Russia, and the United States," she said.
Sandu said her administration would focus on fighting endemic corruption and attracting investment to boost the economy.
"Everyone should see an improvement. That includes people who voted for my opponent. I am telling you: you have not lost, there are no winners or losers here. I will win your confidence with concrete actions," she said.
Although there had been concerns about postelection instability, Dodon quickly conceded defeat.
"I call for calm and peace, absolutely no disturbances or protests. We must not allow any destabilization of the country," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who openly backed Dodon, quickly congratulated Sandu on her election victory.
"I expect that your work as head of state will facilitate the constructive development of relations between our countries," Putin said, according to a statement on the Kremlin website.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated Sandu on her victory and pledged greater cooperation.
"Your victory is a clear call to tackle corruption and restore respect for the rule of law -- the path to a prosperous future. The EU is ready to support Moldova," von der Leyen said on Twitter.
During separate telephone calls with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sandu pledged to make efforts to strengthen relations with Moldova's two neighbors, the press office of her Party of Action and Solidarity said.
Sandu captured 57.75 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff, leaving Dodon behind by more than 15 percentage points at 42.25 percent, the Central Election Commission said after 100 percent of the votes had been counted.
Turnout was more than 52 percent -- nearly 10 percentage points higher than the final turnout recorded during the first round.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the vote was generally well-managed and competitive under challenging circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, observers said negative and divisive rhetoric marred the campaign and issues remain over campaign financing rules.
The vote was the latest rematch between Dodon and Sandu, who won a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 1 but failed to cross the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff.
In 2016, Dodon defeated Sandu by less than 5 percentage points in an election that was marred by allegations of fraud.
Sandu, a former prime minister, campaigned against corruption and called for closer ties with the EU.
Dodon ran on a platform calling for "stability" and promoted his record of securing loans and other economic favors from Moscow.
He has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, during which more than 89,000 Moldovans have been infected and more than 2,000 have died.
Moldova, with a population of about 3.5 million, is one of Europe's poorest countries, hampered by a creaky economy and rampant corruption.
The country is also hobbled by the unresolved status of Transdniester, a breakaway region that has been de facto independent since a separatist war in the 1990s.
Transdniester is backed economically and politically by Moscow, which wants to keep Moldova in its sphere of influence, especially with the ongoing wave of political unrest sweeping across other former Soviet republics.
With reporting by AP, AFP, Interfax, and Reuters


rferl--2020-11-15--Flash Grenades, Beatings As Belarusian Police Crack Down On Protesters

Police used flash grenades in the Belarusian capital , Minsk , in an effort to disperse anti-government protesters on November @ @ @ @ @ , including two people who were beaten by masked security officers inside a Minsk grocery @ @ @ @ @ showed defiance , with one woman kneeling on a street in front of a police @ @ @ @ @ August after longtime ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka declared a landslide victory in a presidential vote widely @ @ @ @

Police used flash grenades in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, in an effort to disperse anti-government protesters on November 15. Hundreds were detained, including two people who were beaten by masked security officers inside a Minsk grocery store. But many protesters showed defiance, with one woman kneeling on a street in front of a police van. Protests began in August after longtime ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka declared a landslide victory in a presidential vote widely seen as rigged.


rferl--2020-11-15--Belarusian Mourners Detained At Memorial For Slain Protester

Belarusian police detained people who had gathered at a makeshift memorial in Minsk to remember slain anti-government protester Raman Bandarenka @ @ @ @ @ laid flowers on November 15 to honor the 31-year old activist who died in a @ @ @ @ @ reportedly being badly beaten by masked security forces .
Police broke up the memorial ceremony @ @ @ @ @ Thousands also marched through the Belarusian capital to remember Bandarenka amid ongoing anti-government protests .
@ @ @ @ @ Lukashenka began in August after he declared a landslide victory in a presidential vote widely @ @ @ @

Belarusian police detained people who had gathered at a makeshift memorial in Minsk to remember slain anti-government protester Raman Bandarenka. Mourners lit candles and laid flowers on November 15 to honor the 31-year old activist who died in a hospital three days earlier after reportedly being badly beaten by masked security forces. Police broke up the memorial ceremony and detained several people. Thousands also marched through the Belarusian capital to remember Bandarenka amid ongoing anti-government protests. Demonstrations against Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka began in August after he declared a landslide victory in a presidential vote widely seen as rigged.


rferl--2020-11-15--More Than 1,200 Detained In Belarus As Protesters Face Tear Gas, Stun Grenades

MINSK -- Belarusian police detained more than 1,200 people on November 15 during protests across the country demanding the resignation of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka and a new presidential election following a disputed election in August .
The Vyasna human rights group said most detentions were made in Minsk , where black-clad security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse thousands of demonstrators .
Two people were beaten by masked security officers inside a grocery store .
Videos showed police detaining people and taking them away in police vehicles .
It was the largest number of detentions reported in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The total number of people detained since August is believed to be over 25,000 , according to Vyasna .
At least 23 journalists were among those detained in Minsk and other cities , according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists .
They included four contributors to RFE/RL 's Belarus Service -- photo reporter Andrey Shauluha , cameraman Andrey Rabchyk , veteran reporter Ihar Karney , and chief video editor Yulia Kotskaya .
The protesters carried the banned white-red-white flags that have become a symbol of the political opposition in Belarus and carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 31-year old anti-government supporter who died in a hospital on November 12 after reportedly being badly beaten by masked security forces .
Demonstrators chanted , `` I 'm going out , '' the last known written words of Bandarenka , and other slogans such as , “ Lukashenka !
Tribunal !
” Mobile Internet was down and several subway stations in the center of the capital were closed , while several streets and squares were cordoned off by police .
Detentions were also reported during smaller demonstrations in Homel , Hrodna , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued a wave of near-daily protests that have gripped Belarus since the August 9 election .
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who has said the vote was rigged in Lukashenka 's favor and considers herself the rightful winner , described the crackdown on protesters with `` gas , grenades , and firearms '' as `` devastating '' and called for international support for the demonstrators .
`` We ask our allies to stand up for the Belarusian people and human rights .
We need a humanitarian corridor for the injured , support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she wrote on Twitter .
Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus for Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family .
Lukashenka , who has ruled Belarus for 26 years , on November 13 vowed not to hand over power and slammed his political opponents and demonstrators .
Lukashenka said his country should integrate with Russia , which has supported him in the ongoing standoff , and Moscow-led organizations to avoid what he called `` color revolutions '' -- a term often used to describe pro-Western political upheavals .
His remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent crackdowns against Belarusian protesters and threatened to impose more sanctions on Minsk .
Several protesters have been killed and thousands of people arrested since authorities declared Lukashenka the landslide winner of the vote .
There have also been credible reports of torture during a widening security crackdown .
Most of the country 's opposition have been arrested or forced to leave the country .

MINSK -- Belarusian police detained more than 1,200 people on November 15 during protests across the country demanding the resignation of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka and a new presidential election following a disputed election in August.
The Vyasna human rights group said most detentions were made in Minsk, where black-clad security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse thousands of demonstrators. Two people were beaten by masked security officers inside a grocery store. Videos showed police detaining people and taking them away in police vehicles.
It was the largest number of detentions reported in a single day since the protests began. The total number of people detained since August is believed to be over 25,000, according to Vyasna.
At least 23 journalists were among those detained in Minsk and other cities, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.
They included four contributors to RFE/RL's Belarus Service -- photo reporter Andrey Shauluha, cameraman Andrey Rabchyk, veteran reporter Ihar Karney, and chief video editor Yulia Kotskaya.
The protesters carried the banned white-red-white flags that have become a symbol of the political opposition in Belarus and carried placards in commemoration of Raman Bandarenka, a 31-year old anti-government supporter who died in a hospital on November 12 after reportedly being badly beaten by masked security forces.
Demonstrators chanted, "I'm going out," the last known written words of Bandarenka, and other slogans such as, “Lukashenka! Tribunal!”
Mobile Internet was down and several subway stations in the center of the capital were closed, while several streets and squares were cordoned off by police.
Detentions were also reported during smaller demonstrations in Homel, Hrodna, Mahilyou, and elsewhere.
The demonstrations continued a wave of near-daily protests that have gripped Belarus since the August 9 election.
Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has said the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor and considers herself the rightful winner, described the crackdown on protesters with "gas, grenades, and firearms" as "devastating" and called for international support for the demonstrators.
"We ask our allies to stand up for the Belarusian people and human rights. We need a humanitarian corridor for the injured, support for the media, international investigation of crimes," she wrote on Twitter.
Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus for Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family.
Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, on November 13 vowed not to hand over power and slammed his political opponents and demonstrators.
Lukashenka said his country should integrate with Russia, which has supported him in the ongoing standoff, and Moscow-led organizations to avoid what he called "color revolutions" -- a term often used to describe pro-Western political upheavals.
His remarks came as the European Union again condemned violent crackdowns against Belarusian protesters and threatened to impose more sanctions on Minsk.
Several protesters have been killed and thousands of people arrested since authorities declared Lukashenka the landslide winner of the vote.
There have also been credible reports of torture during a widening security crackdown.
Most of the country's opposition have been arrested or forced to leave the country.


rferl--2020-11-15--Bosnia's Local Elections Overshadowed By COVID-19

SARAJEVO -- Bosnians voted in local elections on November 15 that were delayed due to the country ’ s budget crisis , amid concerns that a surge in coronavirus infections could keep many voters away .
About 3.3 million voters are eligible to help choose town and municipal councils and mayors in the country 's two autonomous regions -- the Bosniak-Croat Federation and Republica Srpska -- as well as the neutral Brcko district .
Some 38.8 percent of voters had cast their ballots by 4 p.m. , three hours before polls closed .
Preliminary results are expected by midnight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in Bosnia-Herzegovina have been rising sharply in recent weeks , with health authorities now reporting nearly 72,000 infections , including more than 1,800 fatalities .
In order to mitigate the risk of infection , voters at polling stations are required to observe strict physical distancing , wear face masks , and wash their hands .
Voter temperatures are also being taken and polling stations are regularly disinfected .
Dozens of mobile polling teams have been dispatched to take ballots to citizens under quarantine .
In Srebrenica , the head of the Bosniak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) complained that Serbia residents were traveling to the eastern Bosnian town , located not far from the Serbian border , to participate in the election .
`` It has been taking place for several years…and no one has [ been able ] to help prevent it .
People from Serbia who in most cases have nothing to do with Srebrenica come in an organized manner .
They are greeted by teams at the border crossing and taken to the polls , ” Sadik Ahmetovic told RFE/RL .
On election day , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen in Srebrenica .
The elections were originally slated for October 4 .
But the government ’ s delay in adopting a national budget , including funding for the elections , led to the postponement .
The ethnically divided southern city of Mostar will hold elections separately on December 20 .
Those long-delayed elections will be the first in Mostar in 12 years and come after Bosnia ’ s main Bosniak and Croat parties in June reached a last-minute agreement on a new statute for the city .
Mostar has not held municipal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' failure to enforce a 2010 ruling by Bosnia 's Constitutional Court that said the city 's power-sharing structure was unconstitutional and needed reform .

SARAJEVO -- Bosnians voted in local elections on November 15 that were delayed due to the country’s budget crisis, amid concerns that a surge in coronavirus infections could keep many voters away.
About 3.3 million voters are eligible to help choose town and municipal councils and mayors in the country's two autonomous regions -- the Bosniak-Croat Federation and Republica Srpska -- as well as the neutral Brcko district.
Some 38.8 percent of voters had cast their ballots by 4 p.m., three hours before polls closed. Preliminary results are expected by midnight.
The number of coronavirus cases and related deaths in Bosnia-Herzegovina have been rising sharply in recent weeks, with health authorities now reporting nearly 72,000 infections, including more than 1,800 fatalities.
In order to mitigate the risk of infection, voters at polling stations are required to observe strict physical distancing, wear face masks, and wash their hands. Voter temperatures are also being taken and polling stations are regularly disinfected.
Dozens of mobile polling teams have been dispatched to take ballots to citizens under quarantine.
In Srebrenica, the head of the Bosniak political coalition Moja Adresa (My Address) complained that Serbia residents were traveling to the eastern Bosnian town, located not far from the Serbian border, to participate in the election.
"It has been taking place for several years…and no one has [been able] to help prevent it. People from Serbia who in most cases have nothing to do with Srebrenica come in an organized manner. They are greeted by teams at the border crossing and taken to the polls,” Sadik Ahmetovic told RFE/RL.
On election day, many cars with Serbian license plates could be seen in Srebrenica.
The elections were originally slated for October 4. But the government’s delay in adopting a national budget, including funding for the elections, led to the postponement.
The ethnically divided southern city of Mostar will hold elections separately on December 20.
Those long-delayed elections will be the first in Mostar in 12 years and come after Bosnia’s main Bosniak and Croat parties in June reached a last-minute agreement on a new statute for the city.
Mostar has not held municipal polls since 2008 because of the authorities' failure to enforce a 2010 ruling by Bosnia's Constitutional Court that said the city's power-sharing structure was unconstitutional and needed reform.


rferl--2020-11-17--Armenian President Calls For Snap Elections As Government Faces Mounting Pressure Over Karabakh Deal

President Armen Sarkisian has called for holding early parliamentary elections in Armenia , saying that they are needed to resolve a political crisis sparked by the war in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The elections would “ save the country from upheaval ” in the wake of the six-week conflict that resulted in Armenian territorial losses in and around Nagorno-Karabakh , Sarkisian said in a televised address to the nation late on November 16 .
He urged Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ’ s government and My Step alliance to come up with a “ road map ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a new , interim “ government of national accord , ” Sarkisian added .
`` Taking into account the current situation , taking into account public demands , it is obvious that in order to avoid internal political upheavals , the holding of early parliamentary elections is inevitable , '' Sarkisian said after meeting with members of various political groups .
Sarkisian , who has largely ceremonial powers , said that his proposals reflect the dominant view of political party leaders and public figures with whom he has held consultations in recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been holding demonstrations in Yerevan to condemn Pashinian ’ s handling of the war .
The prime minister has rejected their demands .
He has yet to publicly clarify whether he could agree to snap general elections demanded by his political opponents .
Pashinian on November 16 dismissed his foreign minister in a cabinet reshuffle as he came under mounting pressure from Sarkisian and the opposition to resign over the peace deal with Azerbaijan .
The Russia-brokered November 10 peace deal , which came after Azerbaijani forces made major battlefield gains to regain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades ago , allows Azerbaijan to keep a sizable chunk of the mountainous region , as well as much of the area ringing the enclave .
Thousands of angry protesters continued to rally in Yerevan on November 16 , backing calls from 17 opposition groups demanding that Pashinian resign .
Armenian authorities say that the opposition protests are illegal , citing martial law declared following the outbreak of war on September 27 .
The biggest opposition bloc in parliament , Prosperous Armenia ; the former ruling Republican Party ; the Hayrenik ( Fatherland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federation party are among 17 opposition groups that launched the protests starting on November 10 .
The leaders of these parties have been arrested and released several times since the start of the protests .
Pashinian ’ s My Step faction still holds a wide majority in the 132-seat parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote .
Pashinian has rebuffed calls to resign or hold snap elections , but on November 16 he sacked Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian .
Addressing a meeting of parliament boycotted by the opposition , he gave no clear reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two years but said the government will see several reshuffles .
He also reiterated that the peace accord was Armenia 's only option and that it ensured Nagorno-Karabakh 's survival , even if the territory ’ s second city , Shushi ( known as Susa in Azeri ) , was lost .
Around 2,000 Russia peacekeepers will be deployed to maintain security in the territory for a period of five years .
They will also stand guard on the strategic Lachin Corridor , the sole road linking the region and Armenia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ region would be reopened on November 16 and that many displaced residents of the enclave were returning to their homes .
Between 75,000 and 90,000 of the region 's 150,000 inhabitants fled the fighting .
Meanwhile , an exodus of ethnic Armenians from the territories that will be handed over to Azerbaijan are expected to create economic , social , and political pressure in Armenia .
The districts of Aghdam and Lachin must be handed over to Azerbaijan starting on November 20 and December 1 , respectively .
Baku captured four other districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own affairs , with support from Armenia , since Azerbaijan 's troops and ethnic Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .
Fighting broke out again in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27 , killing more than 2,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides over the ensuing weeks .
Azerbaijan has not provided a figure for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP , AP , dpa , Reuters , and RFE/RL 's Armenian and Azerbaijan services

President Armen Sarkisian has called for holding early parliamentary elections in Armenia, saying that they are needed to resolve a political crisis sparked by the war in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The elections would “save the country from upheaval” in the wake of the six-week conflict that resulted in Armenian territorial losses in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, Sarkisian said in a televised address to the nation late on November 16.
He urged Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government and My Step alliance to come up with a “road map” for the snap elections. They should be held by a new, interim “government of national accord,” Sarkisian added.
"Taking into account the current situation, taking into account public demands, it is obvious that in order to avoid internal political upheavals, the holding of early parliamentary elections is inevitable," Sarkisian said after meeting with members of various political groups.
Sarkisian, who has largely ceremonial powers, said that his proposals reflect the dominant view of political party leaders and public figures with whom he has held consultations in recent days.
Some of those parties have been holding demonstrations in Yerevan to condemn Pashinian’s handling of the war. The prime minister has rejected their demands. He has yet to publicly clarify whether he could agree to snap general elections demanded by his political opponents.
Pashinian on November 16 dismissed his foreign minister in a cabinet reshuffle as he came under mounting pressure from Sarkisian and the opposition to resign over the peace deal with Azerbaijan.
The Russia-brokered November 10 peace deal, which came after Azerbaijani forces made major battlefield gains to regain territory lost to Armenian separatists nearly three decades ago, allows Azerbaijan to keep a sizable chunk of the mountainous region, as well as much of the area ringing the enclave.
Thousands of angry protesters continued to rally in Yerevan on November 16, backing calls from 17 opposition groups demanding that Pashinian resign.
Armenian authorities say that the opposition protests are illegal, citing martial law declared following the outbreak of war on September 27.
The biggest opposition bloc in parliament, Prosperous Armenia; the former ruling Republican Party; the Hayrenik (Fatherland) party; and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party are among 17 opposition groups that launched the protests starting on November 10. The leaders of these parties have been arrested and released several times since the start of the protests.
Pashinian’s My Step faction still holds a wide majority in the 132-seat parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote.
Pashinian has rebuffed calls to resign or hold snap elections, but on November 16 he sacked Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian.
Addressing a meeting of parliament boycotted by the opposition, he gave no clear reason why he had fired his foreign minister of two years but said the government will see several reshuffles.
He also reiterated that the peace accord was Armenia's only option and that it ensured Nagorno-Karabakh's survival, even if the territory’s second city, Shushi (known as Susa in Azeri), was lost.
Around 2,000 Russia peacekeepers will be deployed to maintain security in the territory for a period of five years. They will also stand guard on the strategic Lachin Corridor, the sole road linking the region and Armenia.
Pashinian said the road through the Lachin region would be reopened on November 16 and that many displaced residents of the enclave were returning to their homes. Between 75,000 and 90,000 of the region's 150,000 inhabitants fled the fighting.
Meanwhile, an exodus of ethnic Armenians from the territories that will be handed over to Azerbaijan are expected to create economic, social, and political pressure in Armenia.
The districts of Aghdam and Lachin must be handed over to Azerbaijan starting on November 20 and December 1, respectively. Baku captured four other districts during the six-week conflict.
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule.
They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops and ethnic Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994.
Fighting broke out again in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, killing more than 2,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides over the ensuing weeks. Azerbaijan has not provided a figure for its military casualties.
With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Armenian and Azerbaijan services


rferl--2020-11-17--Trump Reportedly Asked Aides About Options For Striking Iranian Nuclear Site

With two months left in office , U.S. President Donald Trump asked top aides about options to strike Iran 's nuclear facilities , media reports say .
During an Oval Office meeting on November 12 , Trump asked several top aides , including Vice President Mike Pence , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , General Mark Milley , `` whether he had options to take action against Iran 's main nuclear site in the coming weeks , '' The New York Times reported on November 16 .
The senior officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a military strike , '' warning him that the move could ignite a broader conflict in the last weeks of his presidency , The Times wrote .
A U.S. official confirmed the report to Reuters on November 17 .
`` He asked for options .
They gave him the scenarios , and he ultimately decided not to go forward , '' the official said .
Trump reportedly asked the question after a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) said that Iran was continuing to stockpile enriched uranium .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been Natanz , where the IAEA reported that Tehran 's `` uranium stockpile was now 12 times larger '' than allowed under a landmark 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that Trump withdrew from in 2018 .
`` Any action against the Iranian nation would certainly face a crushing response , '' Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said , in remarks streamed on an official government website .
Trump , who has so far refused to concede and is challenging the results of the November 3 presidential election , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden on January 20 .
Biden 's transition team declined comment on the issue .
The Trump administration has refused to begin the transition , barring Biden 's team from access to national security intelligence .
Based on reporting by Reuters and The New York Times

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
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But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-11-17--Pompeo Due In Georgia For High-Level Talks Focused On Security

TBILISI -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to arrive in Georgia on November 17 ahead of talks with leaders of the South Caucasus country on the prospect of further deepening cooperation in the areas of defense and security .
Pompeo is due to arrive in the evening after a short visit to Turkey , the second stop on his current multination tour , where he met with the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world ’ s Orthodox Christians , Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I .
The visit , which included no official meetings and was limited only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrelevant '' by Turkey 's Foreign Ministry .
By contrast , in Georgia , Pompeo 's meetings on November 18 will include talks with President Salome Zurabishvili , Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia , Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani , representatives of civil society , and the leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church , Patriarch Ilia II .
The high-level diplomatic meetings will focus on the priorities of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter and the potential for further deepening cooperation in many areas beyond defense and security , including trade , education , and culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Foreign Affairs .
Pompeo 's visit will reaffirm the United States ' unwavering support for Georgia 's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the country 's further democratic development and European integration , the ministry said .
Pompeo ’ s visit also signals the strength and commitment of the United States to the South Caucasus after Russia recently brokered a truce to end fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The U.S. State Department said Pompeo , whose service as secretary of state will come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden , will express U.S. support for Georgia ’ s sovereignty and territorial integrity .
He also will urge further progress in democratic reforms .
The visit comes as the Georgian opposition demands repeat parliamentary elections .
Members of the opposition plan to hold a silent rally in Tbilisi against the election results during Pompeo ’ s visit .
The opposition , led by United National Movement ( ENM ) , European Georgia , and other parties that won parliamentary representation dispute the results of the October 31 poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dream .
They say that the vote was rigged and have said they would boycott the recently elected parliament .
Georgian Dream has rejected the demand for new elections and has insisted the vote was free and fair .
Pompeo will leave Georgia for Israel , and then travel on to the United Arab Emirates , Qatar , and Saudi Arabia .

TBILISI -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to arrive in Georgia on November 17 ahead of talks with leaders of the South Caucasus country on the prospect of further deepening cooperation in the areas of defense and security.
Pompeo is due to arrive in the evening after a short visit to Turkey, the second stop on his current multination tour, where he met with the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. The visit, which included no official meetings and was limited only to Istanbul, was dismissed as "completely irrelevant" by Turkey's Foreign Ministry.
By contrast, in Georgia, Pompeo's meetings on November 18 will include talks with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani, representatives of civil society, and the leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II.
The high-level diplomatic meetings will focus on the priorities of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter and the potential for further deepening cooperation in many areas beyond defense and security, including trade, education, and culture, according to Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pompeo's visit will reaffirm the United States' unwavering support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the country's further democratic development and European integration, the ministry said.
Pompeo’s visit also signals the strength and commitment of the United States to the South Caucasus after Russia recently brokered a truce to end fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The U.S. State Department said Pompeo, whose service as secretary of state will come to an end on January 20 with the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, will express U.S. support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also will urge further progress in democratic reforms.
The visit comes as the Georgian opposition demands repeat parliamentary elections. Members of the opposition plan to hold a silent rally in Tbilisi against the election results during Pompeo’s visit.
The opposition, led by United National Movement (ENM), European Georgia, and other parties that won parliamentary representation dispute the results of the October 31 poll won by the ruling party, Georgian Dream.
They say that the vote was rigged and have said they would boycott the recently elected parliament.
Georgian Dream has rejected the demand for new elections and has insisted the vote was free and fair.
Pompeo will leave Georgia for Israel, and then travel on to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.


rferl--2020-11-17--Belarusian Association Of Journalists Wins Media Freedom Award

The Belarusian Association of Journalists has won the Media Freedom Award , an honor bestowed by the governments of Britain and Canada for the first time in 2020 , the foreign ministries of the two countries said on November 16 .
The Minsk-based group was singled out for its “ ongoing commitment to journalistic ethics and principles and its perseverance and self-sacrifice in the face of increased targeted crackdowns on media in Belarus , '' the Canadian government said in a statement .
The award was presented at the end of the second global conference on press freedom hosted virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who covered mass protests against election fraud and state violence have become victims of violence and fraud themselves , ” said Andrey Bastunets , chairman of the association in a news release .
“ They have been beaten , their equipment damaged or seized , and they have been sent to jail by unfair court decisions . ''
The Media Freedom Award aims to promote international action to bolster security for journalists around the world , according to Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in the world , can cover what is happening without fear of revenge , censorship , and punishment , '' Raab said during the virtual award ceremony .
`` I pay tribute to the Belarusian Association of Journalists for their commitment to covering human rights and election fraud in the face of violence , threats , and intimidation .
The work of those who defend media freedom has never been more important . ''
Almost daily demonstrations have taken place in Minsk since the August 9 presidential election in which Alyaksandr Lukashenka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition says the election was rigged and the West has refused to accept the result .
Thousands of people have been arrested and several killed .

The Belarusian Association of Journalists has won the Media Freedom Award, an honor bestowed by the governments of Britain and Canada for the first time in 2020, the foreign ministries of the two countries said on November 16.
The Minsk-based group was singled out for its “ongoing commitment to journalistic ethics and principles and its perseverance and self-sacrifice in the face of increased targeted crackdowns on media in Belarus," the Canadian government said in a statement.
The award was presented at the end of the second global conference on press freedom hosted virtually by Canada and Botswana.
"Reporters who covered mass protests against election fraud and state violence have become victims of violence and fraud themselves,” said Andrey Bastunets, chairman of the association in a news release. “They have been beaten, their equipment damaged or seized, and they have been sent to jail by unfair court decisions."
The Media Freedom Award aims to promote international action to bolster security for journalists around the world, according to Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab.
“It is very important that journalists, wherever they work in the world, can cover what is happening without fear of revenge, censorship, and punishment," Raab said during the virtual award ceremony. "I pay tribute to the Belarusian Association of Journalists for their commitment to covering human rights and election fraud in the face of violence, threats, and intimidation. The work of those who defend media freedom has never been more important."
Almost daily demonstrations have taken place in Minsk since the August 9 presidential election in which Alyaksandr Lukashenka was declared the landslide winner. The opposition says the election was rigged and the West has refused to accept the result.
Thousands of people have been arrested and several killed.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-11-17--U.S. Senate Passes Anti-Doping Bill Named After Russian Whistle-Blower

The U.S. Senate on November 16 passed legislation granting U.S. officials the power to prosecute individuals responsible for doping at international sporting competitions involving U.S. athletes , sponsors , or broadcasters .
The legislation , named after whistle-blower Grigory Rodchenkov , who lifted the lid on doping in Russia , has already passed the House of Representatives and is now set to be signed into law by President Donald Trump .
The legislation targets coaches , agents , dealers , managers , and sports or government officials , threatening fines of up to $ 1 million and prison sentences of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a monumental day in the fight for clean sport worldwide and we look forward to seeing the act soon become law and help change the game for clean athletes for the good , '' United States Anti-Doping Agency ( USADA ) chief executive Travis Tygart said in a statement .
The World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) , which has authority to sanction athletes for doping , has expressed concern over the legislation , warning it could lead to a patchwork of laws that weaken the principle of having one set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A WADA spokesman on November 16 added that the law may potentially undermine the global anti-doping system by deterring whistle-blowers from coming forward if there is a risk they could be prosecuted .
WADA is also critical of the legislation 's exclusion of U.S. professional leagues and college sports .
But Tygart said the legislation offers greater protection for both athletes and whistle-blowers .
`` The act will provide the tools needed to protect clean athletes and hold accountable international doping conspiracies that defraud sport , sponsors , and that harm athletes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also protects whistle-blowers from retaliation and provides restitution for athletes defrauded by doping conspiracies , Tygart said .
Rodchenkov , the former head of Russia 's national anti-doping laboratory in Moscow , was heavily involved in a state-backed doping conspiracy designed to cover up Russia 's cheating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other events .
Rodchenkov fled to the United States in 2016 and provided evidence of the doping conspiracy to WADA .
He apologized for his role in the manipulation of the anti-doping system .
Russian prosecutors have accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal .
A Russian court in 2017 issued an arrest warrant for Rodchenkov , who is living in hiding in the United States .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

The U.S. Senate on November 16 passed legislation granting U.S. officials the power to prosecute individuals responsible for doping at international sporting competitions involving U.S. athletes, sponsors, or broadcasters.
The legislation, named after whistle-blower Grigory Rodchenkov, who lifted the lid on doping in Russia, has already passed the House of Representatives and is now set to be signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The legislation targets coaches, agents, dealers, managers, and sports or government officials, threatening fines of up to $1 million and prison sentences of up to 10 years.
"It is a monumental day in the fight for clean sport worldwide and we look forward to seeing the act soon become law and help change the game for clean athletes for the good," United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief executive Travis Tygart said in a statement.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which has authority to sanction athletes for doping, has expressed concern over the legislation, warning it could lead to a patchwork of laws that weaken the principle of having one set of rules for all athletes around the world.
A WADA spokesman on November 16 added that the law may potentially undermine the global anti-doping system by deterring whistle-blowers from coming forward if there is a risk they could be prosecuted.
WADA is also critical of the legislation's exclusion of U.S. professional leagues and college sports.
But Tygart said the legislation offers greater protection for both athletes and whistle-blowers.
"The act will provide the tools needed to protect clean athletes and hold accountable international doping conspiracies that defraud sport, sponsors, and that harm athletes," the USADA chief said.
It also protects whistle-blowers from retaliation and provides restitution for athletes defrauded by doping conspiracies, Tygart said.
Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, was heavily involved in a state-backed doping conspiracy designed to cover up Russia's cheating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other events.
Rodchenkov fled to the United States in 2016 and provided evidence of the doping conspiracy to WADA. He apologized for his role in the manipulation of the anti-doping system.
Russian prosecutors have accused him of being largely responsible for the scandal. A Russian court in 2017 issued an arrest warrant for Rodchenkov, who is living in hiding in the United States.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP


rferl--2020-11-17--Turkey Approves Sending Troops To Joint Russian Monitoring Center In Azerbaijan

The Turkish parliament has passed a resolution to send troops to monitor a Russia-brokered peace accord between Azerbaijan and Armenia .
Parliament passed the motion on November 17 with the support of all but one party after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put forward the request to send troops to a planned monitoring center in Azerbaijan .
Turkey , which backed Azerbaijan in a six-week conflict with ethnic Armenian forces over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh , signed a memorandum last week with Russia to create a joint monitoring center in Azerbaijan .
The resolution grants a one-year mandate to deploy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint monitoring center “ at a place Azerbaijan will determine ” and in line with strategic agreements between the two countries .
The state-run Anadolu news agency said the resolution highlights that Azerbaijan requested a joint Turkish-Russian presence at the monitoring center .
It also gives Erdogan broad authority to determine the timing and size of any deployment .
The Russian-brokered peace deal reached on November 10 came after Azerbaijani forces made major battlefield gains to regain territory lost to Armenian separatists nearly three decades ago .
The accord allows Azerbaijan to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as all of the area ringing the enclave .
Around 2,000 Russia peacekeepers will be deployed to maintain security in the territory for a period of five years .
Russian officials have said that Ankara ’ s involvement will be limited to the work of the monitoring center on Azerbaijani soil , and Turkish peacekeepers would not enter Nagorno-Karabakh .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 17 that the joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center would largely involve the use of drones to evaluate the situation on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joint center that would use drones .
We will jointly control the situation along the contact line with the use of these aerial vehicles .
We will receive information , analyze it together , and make conclusions about what is going on on the ground in the online mode , '' Putin said in an interview with Russian media .
France , which along with the United States and Russia , co-chairs the Minsk Group that has spearheaded talks in the past between Armenia and Azerbaijan , urged Russia on November 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accord it brokered .
`` The cease-fire was essential to save thousands of lives .
But there are ambiguities , '' French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament .
He specifically mentioned the issue of refugees , the delimitation of the cease-fire , the presence of Turkey , the return of foreign fighters , and negotiations of over the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Le Drian added that these issues would be discussed at a meeting of French , U.S. , and Russian diplomats in Moscow from the Minsk Group on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed France 's view , saying there were still questions that the Russians needed to clarify about the deal , `` and that included the role of the Turks.
” The United States and France have suspected Turkey deployed Syrian rebel mercenaries to support Azerbaijan amid multiple media reports of their presence on the battlefield during the six-week conflict with ethnic Armenian forces .
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan , but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule .
They have been governing their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Azerbaijan 's troops and ethnic Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994 .
Fighting broke out in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27 , killing more than 2,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides over the ensuing weeks .
Azerbaijan has not provided a figure for its military casualties .
With reporting by AP , AFP , Reuters , Sabah , Cumhuriyet , and Anadolu

The Turkish parliament has passed a resolution to send troops to monitor a Russia-brokered peace accord between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Parliament passed the motion on November 17 with the support of all but one party after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put forward the request to send troops to a planned monitoring center in Azerbaijan.
Turkey, which backed Azerbaijan in a six-week conflict with ethnic Armenian forces over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, signed a memorandum last week with Russia to create a joint monitoring center in Azerbaijan.
The resolution grants a one-year mandate to deploy Turkish soldiers and civilian support to a joint monitoring center “at a place Azerbaijan will determine” and in line with strategic agreements between the two countries.
The state-run Anadolu news agency said the resolution highlights that Azerbaijan requested a joint Turkish-Russian presence at the monitoring center.
It also gives Erdogan broad authority to determine the timing and size of any deployment.
The Russian-brokered peace deal reached on November 10 came after Azerbaijani forces made major battlefield gains to regain territory lost to Armenian separatists nearly three decades ago.
The accord allows Azerbaijan to keep a sizable chunk of the mountainous region, as well as all of the area ringing the enclave. Around 2,000 Russia peacekeepers will be deployed to maintain security in the territory for a period of five years.
Russian officials have said that Ankara’s involvement will be limited to the work of the monitoring center on Azerbaijani soil, and Turkish peacekeepers would not enter Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 17 that the joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center would largely involve the use of drones to evaluate the situation on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"We agreed to set up a joint center that would use drones. We will jointly control the situation along the contact line with the use of these aerial vehicles. We will receive information, analyze it together, and make conclusions about what is going on on the ground in the online mode," Putin said in an interview with Russian media.
France, which along with the United States and Russia, co-chairs the Minsk Group that has spearheaded talks in the past between Armenia and Azerbaijan, urged Russia on November 17 to clear up "ambiguities" over the accord it brokered.
"The cease-fire was essential to save thousands of lives. But there are ambiguities," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament.
He specifically mentioned the issue of refugees, the delimitation of the cease-fire, the presence of Turkey, the return of foreign fighters, and negotiations of over the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Le Drian added that these issues would be discussed at a meeting of French, U.S., and Russian diplomats in Moscow from the Minsk Group on November 18.
The U.S. State Department backed France's view, saying there were still questions that the Russians needed to clarify about the deal, "and that included the role of the Turks.”
The United States and France have suspected Turkey deployed Syrian rebel mercenaries to support Azerbaijan amid multiple media reports of their presence on the battlefield during the six-week conflict with ethnic Armenian forces.
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the population reject Azerbaijani rule.
They have been governing their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops and ethnic Azeri civilians were pushed out of the region in a war that ended in a cease-fire in 1994.
Fighting broke out in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, killing more than 2,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides over the ensuing weeks. Azerbaijan has not provided a figure for its military casualties.
With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, and Anadolu


rferl--2020-11-17--Bulgaria Blocks Start Of North Macedonia's EU Accession Talks

SOFIA -- Bulgaria has blocked the start of accession talks between North Macedonia and the European Union over a history and language dispute with its neighbor .
Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said on November 17 that Bulgaria would not approve the negotiation framework for North Macedonia after the two Balkan countries failed to overcome their differences .
`` Bulgaria at this stage can not support the draft negotiating framework with the Republic of Northern Macedonia and the holding of the first intergovernmental conference , '' Zaharieva said after a video conference of EU foreign ministers .
`` The proposed project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be supported in its current form . ''
Unanimity is required from all EU members for the adoption of the negotiating framework , giving Bulgaria a veto .
Bulgaria wants Skopje to acknowledge that both its identity and language have Bulgarian roots .
Specifically , Sofia wants the language spoken by Macedonians to be called `` the official language of the Republic of Northern Macedonia . ''
Skopje has long insisted Macedonian is a distinct South Slavic language that forms part of the country 's culture and national identity , while Sofia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bulgarian .
Bulgaria also demands its neighbor drop any claims that there is a distinct Macedonian minority in Bulgaria .
It also calls for the adoption of a road map for the implementation of a 2017 neighborhood agreement with Bulgaria as a condition for Northern Macedonia 's EU membership .
In recent weeks , Bulgaria has repeatedly stated that it would hold up North Macedonia ’ s accession talks as the two sides failed to find common ground .
After much delay , the EU agreed in March that North Macedonia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bulgaria backed a negotiating framework for Albania .
Germany , which holds the EU ’ s rotating presidency until the end of the year , was hoping to launch official accession talks with the two Balkan countries at an intergovernmental conference in December .

SOFIA -- Bulgaria has blocked the start of accession talks between North Macedonia and the European Union over a history and language dispute with its neighbor.
Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said on November 17 that Bulgaria would not approve the negotiation framework for North Macedonia after the two Balkan countries failed to overcome their differences.
"Bulgaria at this stage cannot support the draft negotiating framework with the Republic of Northern Macedonia and the holding of the first intergovernmental conference," Zaharieva said after a video conference of EU foreign ministers. "The proposed project does not reflect Bulgarian demands and cannot be supported in its current form."
Unanimity is required from all EU members for the adoption of the negotiating framework, giving Bulgaria a veto.
Bulgaria wants Skopje to acknowledge that both its identity and language have Bulgarian roots. Specifically, Sofia wants the language spoken by Macedonians to be called "the official language of the Republic of Northern Macedonia."
Skopje has long insisted Macedonian is a distinct South Slavic language that forms part of the country's culture and national identity, while Sofia says Macedonian is merely a regional dialect of Bulgarian.
Bulgaria also demands its neighbor drop any claims that there is a distinct Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. It also calls for the adoption of a road map for the implementation of a 2017 neighborhood agreement with Bulgaria as a condition for Northern Macedonia's EU membership.
In recent weeks, Bulgaria has repeatedly stated that it would hold up North Macedonia’s accession talks as the two sides failed to find common ground.
After much delay, the EU agreed in March that North Macedonia and Albania can start talks for membership. Bulgaria backed a negotiating framework for Albania.
Germany, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency until the end of the year, was hoping to launch official accession talks with the two Balkan countries at an intergovernmental conference in December.


rferl--2020-11-17--Russian Bill To Grant Ex-Presidents Lifetime Immunity Passes First Reading

Russia ’ s lower house of parliament , the State Duma , has approved the first reading of a draft bill that would grant sweeping lifetime immunity to former presidents .
The legislation is part of a package of constitutional amendments approved in a referendum this summer that could potentially see President Vladimir Putin stay in power until 2036 .
The draft stipulates that any former head of state and their families obtain lifetime immunity from criminal or administrative charges .
They also can not be detained , arrested , searched , or interrogated .
The only exception is for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the State Duma and the Supreme and Constitutional courts .
Under the current law , former presidents are only immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office .
The State Duma also passed a first reading of another bill that will grant ex-presidents a lifetime seat in the upper house of parliament , or the Federation Council , a position that also provides immunity from prosecution .
Once the bills go through three readings in the State Duma , the legislation must be approved by the Federation Council before heading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dmitry Medvedev , who was president from 2008 to 2012 , is Russia 's only living former president .
The immunity amendments are widely viewed as designed to protect Putin when , or if , he steps down .
Based on reporting by AFP and TASS

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has approved the first reading of a draft bill that would grant sweeping lifetime immunity to former presidents.
The legislation is part of a package of constitutional amendments approved in a referendum this summer that could potentially see President Vladimir Putin stay in power until 2036.
The draft stipulates that any former head of state and their families obtain lifetime immunity from criminal or administrative charges. They also cannot be detained, arrested, searched, or interrogated.
The only exception is for treason, which must first be approved by the State Duma and the Supreme and Constitutional courts.
Under the current law, former presidents are only immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
The State Duma also passed a first reading of another bill that will grant ex-presidents a lifetime seat in the upper house of parliament, or the Federation Council, a position that also provides immunity from prosecution.
Once the bills go through three readings in the State Duma, the legislation must be approved by the Federation Council before heading to Putin's desk for his signature.
Dmitry Medvedev, who was president from 2008 to 2012, is Russia's only living former president.
The immunity amendments are widely viewed as designed to protect Putin when, or if, he steps down.
Based on reporting by AFP and TASS


rferl--2020-11-18--Russian Lawmaker Proposes Bills To Further Restrict Rights Of Protesters

A Russian lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party has proposed two pieces of legislation that would further restrict citizens ' rights to assembly .
The bills proposed in parliament ’ s lower chamber , the State Duma , by Dmitry Vyatkin on November 17 seek to ban the financing of rallies by foreign sources , would make it illegal for people to line up and replace participants of single-picket protests , and introduce restrictions for journalists covering such gatherings .
The bills would also ban public events and rallies near buildings housing emergency services , such as police or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law on single-pickets , one of the few remaining ways to protest without a permit in Russia , immediately sparked criticism from opposition lawmakers .
Oleg Shein of A Just Russia party told the daily Kommersant that by proposing such bills , the ruling United Russia party was putting itself in the `` position of a besieged fortress , isolating itself from society 's demands . ''
Shein pointed to ongoing mass protests in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk , which started in July over the arrest of the regional governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on demonstrations failed to stop people from gathering to voice anti-government sentiments .
In addition , Russia ’ s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said earlier this year that single-person pickets do not constitute “ mass events.
” Human rights groups have called on the Russian government to cancel laws restricting the right to assembly for years .
In Russia , mass gatherings or pickets can not be organized without permission obtained by local authorities .
Very often , such rallies or mass protests organized by opposition groups have been violently dispersed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dmitry Peskov on November 18 refused to comment on the proposed bills , saying that he had not studied Vyatkin 's initiative .
Based on reporting by Kommersant , TASS , and Rosbalt

A Russian lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party has proposed two pieces of legislation that would further restrict citizens' rights to assembly.
The bills proposed in parliament’s lower chamber, the State Duma, by Dmitry Vyatkin on November 17 seek to ban the financing of rallies by foreign sources, would make it illegal for people to line up and replace participants of single-picket protests, and introduce restrictions for journalists covering such gatherings.
The bills would also ban public events and rallies near buildings housing emergency services, such as police or other security services.
The change to the law on single-pickets, one of the few remaining ways to protest without a permit in Russia, immediately sparked criticism from opposition lawmakers.
Oleg Shein of A Just Russia party told the daily Kommersant that by proposing such bills, the ruling United Russia party was putting itself in the "position of a besieged fortress, isolating itself from society's demands."
Shein pointed to ongoing mass protests in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, which started in July over the arrest of the regional governor Sergei Furgal, saying that bans or restrictions on demonstrations failed to stop people from gathering to voice anti-government sentiments.
In addition, Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said earlier this year that single-person pickets do not constitute “mass events.”
Human rights groups have called on the Russian government to cancel laws restricting the right to assembly for years.
In Russia, mass gatherings or pickets cannot be organized without permission obtained by local authorities.
Very often, such rallies or mass protests organized by opposition groups have been violently dispersed by police as illegal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on November 18 refused to comment on the proposed bills, saying that he had not studied Vyatkin's initiative.
Based on reporting by Kommersant, TASS, and Rosbalt


rferl--2020-11-18--Iranian FM Says Tehran Willing To Fully Comply With Nuclear Deal If Biden Lifts Sanctions

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran would return to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal if U.S. President-elect Joe Biden lifts crippling sanctions against the country .
Zarif said in a November 17 interview with the government daily Iran that Tehran remains committed to the nuclear accord , known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , and that Biden could make the changes quickly through “ three executive orders.
” In recent months , Iran has gradually reduced its commitments under the deal in response to U.S. sanctions reimposed after U.S. President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accord in 2018 .
Iran has complained that it is not benefiting economically from the nuclear deal under which the country significantly limited its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief .
Reuters reported on November 18 that Iran has again breached its nuclear deal with major powers by firing up advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges installed underground at its Natanz site .
Biden has said he would work with the other powers involved -- Britain , France , Germany , Russia , and China , as well as the EU -- to amend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in compliance .
But analysts have told RFE/RL that an immediate return to the deal is unlikely .
“ If Mr. Biden is willing to fulfill U.S. commitments , we too can immediately return to our full commitments in the accord ... and negotiations are possible within the framework of the P5 + 1 , ” Zarif said in the interview , referring to the UN Security Council 's five permanent members , China , France , Russia , the U.K , and the U.S. , plus Germany .
“ If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we will fulfill ours under the [ nuclear deal ] , ” he added in reference to the United Security Council Resolution 2231 that enshrined the nuclear accord .
“ This doesn ’ t need negotiations or conditions , it ’ s doable ... .
If the U.S. seeks to become a member of the accord , which Trump [ left ] , we ’ re to negotiate the terms and conditions , ” he added .
Zarif also said that Trump ’ s campaign of “ maximum pressure ” on Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though he acknowledged the campaign has impacted the Islamic republic .
“ Of course , the fact that it failed does not mean that we benefited from this policy .
It means that the United States did not achieve its goal and we were subjected to a lot of pressure , ” Zarif said .
He suggested that Tehran expects the Biden administration to create “ more reasonable conditions ” for a potential agreement , noting that some of Biden ’ s advisers were involved in the nuclear negotiations that resulted in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zarif also said that he has known President-elect Biden for 30 years and that he met with him several times in New York when he served as Iran ’ s ambassador to the United Nations .
“ None of these meetings were secret , ” he said , adding that he believes Biden , who served for many years on the U.S. Senate ’ s Foreign Relations Committee , including as chairman , has a better grasp of international affairs than Trump .
“ [ Biden ] is a foreign-policy veteran after all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Some recent statements by [ Biden ] and others suggest that he understands that unilateralism is not a response to the conditions of today ’ s world .
We have to see what he will do in action , ” Zarif added .
In a September opinion piece published on CNN , Biden said he was `` ready to walk the path of diplomacy if Iran takes steps to show it is ready , too . ''


rferl--2020-11-18--Hungarian PM Orban Accuses EU Of Using Budget To 'Blackmail' Over Immigration

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused the European Union of trying to use the bloc 's budget to `` blackmail '' countries that oppose its immigration policies .
Orban said in a statement published by state news agency MTI on November 18 that his country vetoed the European Union 's 2021-2027 budget and post-coronavirus recovery fund two days earlier because it included a clause which makes access to funds conditional on respecting the rule of law .
Poland also rejected the budget on similar grounds .
`` In Brussels , they only view countries which let migrants in as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Orban said in the statement .
`` Once this proposal gets adopted , there will be no more obstacles to tying member states ' share of common funds to supporting migration and the use of financial means to blackmail countries which oppose migration , '' he added .
Orban is a declared adversary of mass immigration , which he says threatens national and European identity .
The EU has launched a procedure against Hungary for violating democratic rules .
The budget and the recovery package do not have any specific clauses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's comments were an attempt to get support from a domestic audience by resorting to anti-immigration rhetoric .
While saying that Hungary was committed to the rule of law , Orban added , `` Those who defend their borders and defend their countries against immigration can no longer be classified as law-abiding in Brussels . ''
Based on reporting by Reuters , MTI , and AFP

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused the European Union of trying to use the bloc's budget to "blackmail" countries that oppose its immigration policies.
Orban said in a statement published by state news agency MTI on November 18 that his country vetoed the European Union's 2021-2027 budget and post-coronavirus recovery fund two days earlier because it included a clause which makes access to funds conditional on respecting the rule of law. Poland also rejected the budget on similar grounds.
"In Brussels, they only view countries which let migrants in as those governed by the rule of law," Orban said in the statement.
"Once this proposal gets adopted, there will be no more obstacles to tying member states' share of common funds to supporting migration and the use of financial means to blackmail countries which oppose migration," he added.
Orban is a declared adversary of mass immigration, which he says threatens national and European identity. The EU has launched a procedure against Hungary for violating democratic rules.
The budget and the recovery package do not have any specific clauses about immigration and some analysts said Orban's comments were an attempt to get support from a domestic audience by resorting to anti-immigration rhetoric.
While saying that Hungary was committed to the rule of law, Orban added, "Those who defend their borders and defend their countries against immigration can no longer be classified as law-abiding in Brussels."
Based on reporting by Reuters, MTI, and AFP


rferl--2020-11-18--Report: Iran Breaches Deal With Step To Fire Up Centrifuges

Iran has again breached its nuclear deal with major powers by firing up advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges installed underground at its Natanz site , Reuters reports .
The news agency said on November 18 that it had obtained a copy of a new report by the United Nations ' atomic watchdog outlining activities at Natanz , Iran 's main uranium-enrichment site and the one that sources for The New York Times said U.S. President Donald Trump recently asked for options on attacking .
The nuclear deal , which the United States withdrew from in 2018 , states that Iran can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that those are the only centrifuges it can operate at its underground plant at Natanz , apparently built to withstand aerial bombardment .
An International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) report last week showed Tehran had installed advanced equipment underground at Natanz , having moved them from an above-ground plant where it was already enriching uranium with advanced centrifuges in breach of the deal .
That report said Iran had not fed uranium hexafluoride ( UF6 ) gas , the feedstock for centrifuges , into that cascade .
`` On 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran began feeding UF6 into the recently installed cascade of 174 IR-2m centrifuges at the Fuel Enrichment Plant ( FEP ) in Natanz , '' Reuters quoted the new IAEA report to member states , dated November 18 , as saying .
Iran has breached many restrictions imposed by the 2015 deal on its atomic activities , including on the purity to which it enriches uranium and its stock of enriched uranium , citing the U.S. withdrawal as the reason even though other signatories to the agreement -- Russia , France , Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union -- insist the agreement is still valid and have urged Tehran to adhere to it .
Last week 's IAEA report said Iran had also begun installing a cascade of IR-4 centrifuges at the underground plant but not a planned third cascade of IR-6 machines .
It is also operating 5,060 IR-1 machines at the underground plant .


rferl--2020-11-18--Kazakh Opposition Figure Calls On Supporters To Vote To Expose 'Opposition' Party

Mukhtar Ablyazov , a former Kazakh banker and outspoken critic of the country 's government , has called on his supporters to join and vote for the All-National Social Democratic Party ( OSDP ) to `` prove '' the party is a `` fraud . ''
In a video statement posted on Facebook on November 17 , Ablyazov said that the OSDP , which has billed itself as the opposition in upcoming parliamentary elections , is in fact a government-controlled political party set up purely to make elections scheduled for January 10 , 2021 , seem fair and democratic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France , by voting for the OSDP , Kazakh citizens will be able to highlight the voting violations that will `` for sure take place en mass to present Nur Otan as the winner . ''
`` Our main goal is to do everything possible to make sure that the ruling Nur Otan party gets less than 50 percent of the votes and that will be possible if we all vote for the OSDP , '' he said .
International election observers say that past elections in Kazakhstan have been neither free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repression of opposition candidates , and restrictions on the freedom of the press .
`` We need the international community , international observers to find the elections illegitimate ... .
That would trigger mass protests against the rigged results , similar to what happened in neighboring Kyrgyzstan last month , where the opposition managed to change the situation just in days following the mass protests , '' Ablyazov said , adding that people in Belarus also started mass protests against authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid accusations that the August 9 presidential election in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 57-year-old fugitive tycoon , has established the opposition movement Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan ( DVK ) and regularly organizes unsanctioned anti-government rallies across Kazakhstan via the Internet .
The Kazakh government has said six registered political parties will take part in the January 10 parliamentary elections .
The parties include the ruling Nur Otan , four pro-government parties -- Aq Zhol , Auyl , Birlik , and the Communist People 's Party -- and the OSDP .
Activists in Kazakhstan have demanded that opposition political parties , including the Democratic Party of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to participate in the elections .
The polls will be the first parliamentary elections since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev , who resigned in March last year after nearly three decades in power .
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power , including head of the country ’ s powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party .
He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as elbasy -- leader of the nation .
The 107-seat Majlis is currently dominated by Nazarbaev ’ s Nur Otan , which has 84 deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kazakhstan and the Aq Zhol party each have seven seats .
The remaining nine seats are appointed by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan , an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev .
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016 .

Mukhtar Ablyazov, a former Kazakh banker and outspoken critic of the country's government, has called on his supporters to join and vote for the All-National Social Democratic Party (OSDP) to "prove" the party is a "fraud."
In a video statement posted on Facebook on November 17, Ablyazov said that the OSDP, which has billed itself as the opposition in upcoming parliamentary elections, is in fact a government-controlled political party set up purely to make elections scheduled for January 10, 2021, seem fair and democratic.
According to Ablyazov, who currently resides in France, by voting for the OSDP, Kazakh citizens will be able to highlight the voting violations that will "for sure take place en mass to present Nur Otan as the winner."
"Our main goal is to do everything possible to make sure that the ruling Nur Otan party gets less than 50 percent of the votes and that will be possible if we all vote for the OSDP," he said.
International election observers say that past elections in Kazakhstan have been neither free nor fair, citing electoral fraud, repression of opposition candidates, and restrictions on the freedom of the press.
"We need the international community, international observers to find the elections illegitimate.... That would trigger mass protests against the rigged results, similar to what happened in neighboring Kyrgyzstan last month, where the opposition managed to change the situation just in days following the mass protests," Ablyazov said, adding that people in Belarus also started mass protests against authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid accusations that the August 9 presidential election in that country was rigged.
Ablyazov, a 57-year-old fugitive tycoon, has established the opposition movement Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and regularly organizes unsanctioned anti-government rallies across Kazakhstan via the Internet.
The Kazakh government has said six registered political parties will take part in the January 10 parliamentary elections. The parties include the ruling Nur Otan, four pro-government parties -- Aq Zhol, Auyl, Birlik, and the Communist People's Party -- and the OSDP.
Activists in Kazakhstan have demanded that opposition political parties, including the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, be officially registered and allowed to participate in the elections.
The polls will be the first parliamentary elections since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned in March last year after nearly three decades in power.
Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power, including head of the country’s powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party. He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as elbasy -- leader of the nation.
The 107-seat Majlis is currently dominated by Nazarbaev’s Nur Otan, which has 84 deputies.
The Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan and the Aq Zhol party each have seven seats.
The remaining nine seats are appointed by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev.
The last parliamentary elections were held in March 2016.


rferl--2020-11-18--Rights Group Slams Hungarian Government Bid To Ban Adoptions By Gay Couples

A proposal by the Hungarian government to restrict adoption to married couples is designed to exclude lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender ( LGBT ) people and families and represents `` an affront to common European values , '' Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) said on November 18 .
Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban 's government put forward several constitutional amendments on November 10 , the same day parliament voted to extend by 90 days the state of emergency declared on November 3 to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
The parliament , where Orban 's party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is set to vote on the proposals within weeks .
If passed , they would be the ninth set of constitutional amendments since the Orban government came into power for the second time in 2010 .
In a statement issued in Budapest , the New York-based rights watchdog urged the Hungarian parliament to `` resoundingly '' reject the proposed amendment to the constitution , and called on the European Union to warn member Hungary that the change is incompatible with the EU values of tolerance and nondiscrimination .
“ It seems nothing will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting one of the most marginalized groups in Hungarian society , not even soaring coronavirus infections and COVID-19 related deaths , ” said Lydia Gall , senior HRW researcher in the Europe and Central Asia Division .
“ Under the pretext of combatting a misguided conception of ‘ gender ideology , ’ the government further restricts rights and stigmatizes thousands of Hungarian citizens.
” Under the amendment , only married couples will be eligible to adopt children and exceptions would only be made on a case-by-case basis .
The bill effectively bans same-sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different-sex couples from adopting children .
The bill is the latest in a slew of attacks on Hungary 's LGBT community .
In May , parliament banned legal gender recognition , effectively preventing transgender and intersex people in Hungary from legally changing their gender or sex assigned at birth .
The restriction has serious repercussions for people ’ s everyday lives , HRW said .
The publication in September of a Hungarian children ’ s book with new versions of fairy tales featuring members of marginalized groups , including LGBT people , Roma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wave of homophobic attacks , with right-wing extremist politicians shredding the book in public .
Last month Orban personally commented on the book on a radio show , saying that the LGBT community should “ leave our children alone .
”

A proposal by the Hungarian government to restrict adoption to married couples is designed to exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and families and represents "an affront to common European values," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 18.
Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government put forward several constitutional amendments on November 10, the same day parliament voted to extend by 90 days the state of emergency declared on November 3 to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The parliament, where Orban's party, Fidesz, has a two-thirds majority, is set to vote on the proposals within weeks. If passed, they would be the ninth set of constitutional amendments since the Orban government came into power for the second time in 2010.
In a statement issued in Budapest, the New York-based rights watchdog urged the Hungarian parliament to "resoundingly" reject the proposed amendment to the constitution, and called on the European Union to warn member Hungary that the change is incompatible with the EU values of tolerance and nondiscrimination.
“It seems nothing will derail this government from cruelly and pointlessly targeting one of the most marginalized groups in Hungarian society, not even soaring coronavirus infections and COVID-19 related deaths,” said Lydia Gall, senior HRW researcher in the Europe and Central Asia Division.
“Under the pretext of combatting a misguided conception of ‘gender ideology,’ the government further restricts rights and stigmatizes thousands of Hungarian citizens.”
Under the amendment, only married couples will be eligible to adopt children and exceptions would only be made on a case-by-case basis. The bill effectively bans same-sex couples, single people, and unmarried different-sex couples from adopting children.
The bill is the latest in a slew of attacks on Hungary's LGBT community. In May, parliament banned legal gender recognition, effectively preventing transgender and intersex people in Hungary from legally changing their gender or sex assigned at birth.
The restriction has serious repercussions for people’s everyday lives, HRW said.
The publication in September of a Hungarian children’s book with new versions of fairy tales featuring members of marginalized groups, including LGBT people, Roma, and people with disabilities, sparked a wave of homophobic attacks, with right-wing extremist politicians shredding the book in public.
Last month Orban personally commented on the book on a radio show, saying that the LGBT community should “leave our children alone.”