KAZHEGELDIN PREDICTS DIPLOMATIC GAFFE WILL EMBOLDEN KAZAKHSTAN'S OPPOSITION

Kazakhstani diplomats provoked outrage in the halls of the US Congress on July 18 by attempting to subpoena Kazakhstan's leading opposition figure, Akezhan Kazhegeldin, during hearings on human rights conditions in Central Asia. The diplomatic gaffe will embolden the opposition movement, Akezhan Kazhegeldin told EurasiaNet in an exclusive interview.

"It was an unprecedented incident, constituting a clear lack of respect for a country [The United States] that is considered a major donor and strategic partner," Kazhegeldin said in a telephone interview, referring to the subpoena attempt. "We have formed a forum of democratic forces in Central Asia