Latest Articles about The Caucasus
Georgia’s Political Landscape Reshaped After Local Elections
The Christian-Democrat Movement and the Alliance for Georgia laid a basis in recent local elections for the development of genuine opposition parties in Georgia. According to the final returns, these parties took the second and third place, with 12 percent and 9 percent, respectively, of... MORE
Georgia Returns to Stability and Growth After Local Elections
Candidates from Georgia’s governing party, the United National Movement (UNM), won the country-wide local elections on May 30, including the pivotal contest for the Tbilisi municipality, by large margins. The electoral process earned a positive net assessment from Western observers and also by the main... MORE
Turkey Prioritizes Independent Regional Policies in the Middle East and the South Caucasus
Turkey continued its regional diplomacy, following the historic visit by Russian President Medvedev to Ankara (EDM, May 20). Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan paid back-to-back trips to Greece, Iran and Azerbaijan, which underscored Turkey’s rising activism in its neighborhood, as well as highlighting divergence with the... MORE
Attack in North Caucasus’ Safest City Casts Doubts on Moscow’s Policies in the Region
Seven people died and over 40 were injured following the explosion near a concert hall in Stavropol on May 26. As of May 31, 32 people remained in the local hospital for treatment, five of whom were in critical condition (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, May 31). According to... MORE
Chechen Fighters Hold their Ground Against Kadyrov
North Caucasus rebels have recently intensified their activity in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan republics, and Chechnya does not seem to be an exception. Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, made yet another attempt last week to come up with an estimate on the total number of rebels... MORE
Stavropol Bombing – A Case of Russian Nationalists Targeting Chechens?
Today (May 28) was an official day of mourning in Stavropol Krai for seven people killed in the May 26 bomb blast in the city of Stavropol. A bomb packed with steel pellets hidden in a juice carton detonated near the city’s Palace of Culture,... MORE
Dark But Short: Russia’s Shadow on Georgia’s Elections
Russia is casting its dark shadow on Georgia’s electoral campaign, but it is not the proverbial long shadow. Rather, it affects Georgia’s internal politics at its outer fringe, far short of beclouding the political system or any significant voter constituency. Russia’s recently acquired allies in... MORE
Georgian Pre-Election Polls Deflate Opposition’s Expectations
Georgia is holding country-wide local elections on May 30. International and local observers regard these elections as a critical test for Georgia, on four counts.This is the first electoral contest in the country since the August 2008 Russian invasion; and since 1990, this is the... MORE
Multiple Problems Plague Kremlin Plans for 2014 Sochi Olympic Games
On May 21, protest actions and tributes to the war victims of the Russia-Circassian war took place worldwide. Marking 146 years since the end of the war in 1864, Circassian activists took to the streets in Turkey, the United States, Europe and Israel, where there... MORE
Removal of North Ossetian Mufti Sparks Fears its Muslims May Choose Radical Path
On May 20, Ali-Khadzhi Yevteyev stepped down from the position of North Ossetia’s mufti following a media campaign against him. On May 2, the Regnum news agency published an interview with Yevteyev that included very critical remarks about the role of the Russian Orthodox Church... MORE