From: Vladic Ravich (vravich@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Nov 29 2004 - 13:49:29 EST
BLASTS SHAKE KAZAKH PRO-PRESIDENTIAL PARTY HEADQUARTERS
Two explosions took place on the evening of 28 November at the
headquarters of the pro-presidential Otan party in Almaty, RIA-Novosti
reported. A 20-year-old passerby was hospitalized with light injuries. A
source in the Emergency Situations Ministry told the news agency that
the explosives, the equivalent of 300-400 grams of TNT, were planted on
a telephone switchboard on the building and on a first-floor windowsill.
Bolatkhan Taizhan, a high-ranking Otan adviser, told RFE/RL's Kazakh
Service that extremists could be behind the attack. He said, "Despite
differences in their views, all [political] parties [in Kazakhstan] say
that the main thing is to maintain stability in Kazakhstan.... This is
what the leadership and members of opposition parties say as well.
That's why I think the blasts could be accidental. But one shouldn't be
surprised if they turn out to be the work of extremists." President
Nazarbaev heads Otan. DK
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