Aliyev Fires 3 Azerbaijani Officials
Parliament Speaker Geidar Aliyev tightened his control of the Azerbaijani government Saturday by firing three top officials loyal to President Abulfez Elchibey, who has little power left.
Aliyev fired Foreign Minister Tofig Gassimov; Mehmet Ismail, the head of state radio and television, and Arif Rahimadze, who was responsible for territorial policy.
Several hundred Elchibey supporters gathered in Baku, meanwhile, to demand that he return from his mountain home, where he fled eight days ago when rebels advanced on the capital.
Azerbaijan has been unable to achieve political stability in the 18 months since the country gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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