Opposition Calls off Parliament Blockade.

Parliament returned to work this morning after the president, majority coalition and opposition reached a compromise on the opposition’s role. The agreement, which parliament is expected to adopt today in the form of a resolution, says the opposition will head “oversight” committees and other unspecified “organs” (presumably some of the parliamentary committees), but leaves the details to be worked out later. It promises that local councils will be “consulted” before any future appointments of regional governors and that the opposition’s role will be strengthened in law. It also says the speaker and deputy speakers will be elected by secret ballot. Tom Warner: This is what we predicted, and we presume that most of the details that weren’t announced (such as which positions the opposition will get) have already been agreed.