Belarusian citizens went to the polls on October 17 to elect a new parliament and to take part in a referendum on whether President Alexander Lukashenka should be permitted to amend the constitution and run for a third term in office. The official results provided... MORE

On October 15 Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych told foreign diplomats in Kyiv that the government is taking all measures to ensure a free and fair election on October 31 (Ukrayinska pravda, October 15). Officials will ensure observance of the rule of... MORE

"Mediators" Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE are redoubling efforts to refloat the shipwrecked negotiations toward Moldova's federalization. Meeting on October 11-12 in Sofia at the initiative of the OSCE Chairmanship, the three mediators issued a joint statement urging Chisinau and Tiraspol to return to that... MORE

Millions of Ukrainian citizens living abroad have the right to vote in the October 31 presidential election. While provisions for expatriates have been made previously, this election marks the first time the opposition and election monitoring groups have focused on such ballots. On October 12... MORE

Preliminary returns from Lithuania's October 10 parliamentary suggest that the traditional parties should be able to isolate the surging populist Labor Party after the elections, instead of entering into potentially risky arrangements with this challenger to the political system. The Labor Party, founded by Russian-born... MORE

As Ukraine's presidential election approach, the authorities are increasingly nervous about the increased visibility of youth NGOs monitoring the election. October has seen an especially large number of intimidation tactics and violence targeted against these groups. On October 4, Tetiana and Oleksandr Batrak, Donetsk-based activists... MORE

Since October 1 representatives from the headquarters of Ukrainian opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko have discovered over 150 tons of illegal election materials that are both anti-American and anti-Yushchenko (see samples at: www.ham.com.ua/index.php?action=black). The find, estimated at 300 million items, is a critical opposition victory... MORE

According to Minsk analysts, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka is in danger of losing the October 17 referendum. Scheduled in conjunction with parliamentary elections, the referendum seeks to eliminate the presidential two-term limit. In addition, Lukashenka has been potentially ostracized by the unanimous passage of the... MORE

The attempted poisoning of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko last month has taken a new turn that suggests a return to Soviet-era KGB methods. A fake letter from the Austrian clinic that treated Yushchenko was sent to Reuters news agency and then widely disseminated abroad... MORE

Opinion surveys suggest that the newly created, leftist Labor Party will take first place in Lithuania's parliamentary elections on October 10, though it will fall short of gaining a majority. The party leader, Russian-born oligarch Viktor Uspaskikh, will claim the post of prime minister, but... MORE