Global Voices Online

Notes from Hairenik comments on Friday's rally by the extra-parliamentary opposition led by Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrossian. Noting the low turnout at the unsanctioned rally, the blog says that the opposition remains weak and unable to mobilize a critical mass of people large enough to challenge the status quo.

Recent Links also in Central Asia & Caucasus

Musafirbek says that the president of Uzbekistan officially thanked the cotton-growers for gathering the harvest of this strategic product for Uzbekistan. However, those who sweat away, collecting this cotton (including children) were not mentioned in the president’s address.

Alexander Visotzky writes about the opening of a monument in Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, where the authorities uncovered a 15-foot high bronze statue of incumbent president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Dafydd reports that the EU has lifted the arms embargo on Uzbekistan. Reasons given are abolishment of the death penalty and release of political prisoners.