Security Council Official Goes to Interior Ministry

Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiev has appointed Osmonaly Guronov, until now secretary of the Security Council, as first deputy interior minister. This is the second time Guronov has occupied a key post in the ministry - in October 2006, just before the opposition protests in November, Guronov was briefly minister. Local media believe the president gave him the job because he wanted someone capable of dispersing demonstrations. However, on November 6, under pressure from the opposition, Bakiev replaced him with Omurbek Suvanaliev, whom his opponents deemed more acceptable.