Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
U.S. UNVEILS $6 MILLION PLAN TO FOSTER FREE ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
The United States has unveiled a $6 million plan to facilitate the conduct of free and fair elections in Armenia. The program, outlined by the U.S. ambassador in Yerevan, John Evans, on October 27, has a logistical emphasis and does not seem to address the... MORE
GEORGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER FENDS OFF LATEST CHARACTER ATTACK
Scandal-prone Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili is back in the news thanks to the continuing investigation into the Ministry of Defense purchase of allegedly defective armored vehicles from Ukraine in 2004 (see EDM October 14). After the arrest of three senior defense officials on charges... MORE
EDITOR OF AFGHAN WOMEN’S MAGAZINE ARRESTED FOR BLASPHEMY
Ali Mohaqqeq-Nasab, editor of the Kabul-based women's magazine Hoqooq-e-Zan (Women's Rights), was suddenly arrested on October 1. He was snatched on the street, without any warrant, summons, or prior notice (Outlook Afghanistan, October 2). He was subsequently summoned to court on October 11 to face... MORE
TAJIKISTAN BRANDS “BAYAT” A TERRORIST, RELIGIOUS, EXTREMIST, ORGANIZATION
Tajik Interior Minister Khumiddin Sharipov has declared that the extremist religious organization "Bayat" remains active in Tajikistan. "We have once again received reports that Bayat remains active. Not all of its members have been tracked down," the minister told a news conference in Dushanbe on... MORE
BISHKEK WEIGHS BENEFITS OF U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE
The Kyrgyz government, keen to promote its own financial interests in the continued American military presence in Kyrgyzstan, has strongly pressed for greater revenue from Washington. This not only reflects the strategic value of the Manas air base, but also its increased importance since Tashkent... MORE
WASHINGTON GIVES NOD OF APPROVAL TO NAZARBAYEV REGIME
Critics of the ruling regime in Kazakhstan were visibly disappointed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who paid a two-day visit to Astana on October 12-13. She did not offer them any support ahead of the December 4 presidential election. To the surprise of... MORE
UKRAINE’S CENTRIST CAMP IN DISARRAY AHEAD OF 2006 ELECTIONS
Although the main story in Ukrainian politics this fall has been the rift in the Orange Revolutionary camp, the centrists that once gathered around former president Leonid Kuchma are far more divided. Most of them will have a hard time winning seats in the 2006... MORE
UNEDIFYING DEBUT TO 5+2 NEGOTIATIONS ON MOLDOVA
After a 15-month break, negotiations on Transnistria resumed on October 27-28 in Chisinau and Tiraspol, now in the 5 + 2 format. This includes the United States and the European Union as observers to the old five-sided format of Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, Chisinau, and Tiraspol.... MORE
ROSE, ORANGE REVOLUTIONS’ PROTAGONISTS AGAINST ‘COLOR REVOLUTION’ IN AZERBAIJAN
Judging by the experience of past elections in Azerbaijan -- particularly the 2003 presidential vote -- the crucial date in the upcoming parliamentary elections will not be the November 6 balloting day, but the day after. All opinion surveys and other indicators presage a clear-cut... MORE
BAKIYEV-KULOV POLITICAL UNION ENDANGERED BY CRIMINALS
October's showdowns between various political forces in Kyrgyzstan's government and parliament, as well as between criminals and businessmen, have challenged the credibility of the political union between President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov. Rysbek Akmatbayev, the older brother of assassinated parliamentarian Tynychbek Akmatbayev... MORE