Latest Articles about Domestic/Social
Conflict Intensifies Between Ingushetia’s President and Republican Judiciary
On March 23, the Supreme Court of Ingushetia issued a statement complaining about President Yunus-bek Yevkurov’s attacks on the judiciary. According to the statement, Yevkurov had without basis accused the republic’s judges of corruption and supporting terrorism. The Supreme Court judges also alleged that Yevkurov... MORE
Putin’s “Long Decade” Continues Despite Medvedev’s “Modernization”
Last weekend marked the tenth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s election as Russian president on March 26, 2000, while strictly speaking his “era” started with Boris Yeltsin’s surprise departure from the Kremlin three months earlier –and it certainly did not come to an end with his... MORE
Kurdish-Arab Tensions and Irbil-Baghdad Relations
Iraqi Kurds possess at present not only their most powerful regional government since the creation of Iraq following World War I, but they also play prominent roles in the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, including the posts of president (Jalal al-Talabani), deputy prime minister (Barham... MORE
Will Tymoshenko Unite Ukrainian Opposition?
Yulia Tymoshenko has found herself in the opposition after losing the February 7 presidential election runoff to Viktor Yanukovych. Her coalition in parliament has ceased to exist, and on March 3 a new pro-Yanukovych majority dismissed her from the post of prime minister. Although Tymoshenko... MORE
Circassians Look to Georgia for International Support
On March 21, participants in a landmark conference “Hidden Nations, Enduring Crimes: The Circassians and the Peoples of the North Caucasus Between Past and Future” was held in Tbilisi. Participants at the conference appealed to the Georgian parliament to recognize Russian actions in the northwestern... MORE
The Tulip Revolution: Five Years On
Kyrgyzstan is in much worse shape today compared to five years ago, when the then little known Kurmanbek Bakiyev came to power. Since the change of leadership occurred as a result of mass demonstrations, and the largely unpopular President, Askar Akayev, chose to flee the... MORE
Sannikau Throws His Hat in the Ring
A key opposition leader in Belarus has declared his candidacy for the next presidential elections, scheduled for 2011. Andrei Sannikau, the leader of the civic movement European Belarus, held an interview with “bloggers” in mid-March to outline his policies and answer questions. His decision reflects... MORE
Kyrgyzstan: New Junta in Formation
Kyrgyzstan is teetering on the brink of becoming yet another state ruled by military officials. To date, several military officers have been granted unprecedented political power, which they have used against the regime’s opponents. There are signs that President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is no longer able... MORE
Security Implications of Shi’a Politics in Post-Election Iraq
Although the final count will not be available until the end of March, the preliminary results from Iraq’s parliamentary election show a strong victory for the State of Law list (SLA), led by the current Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Iraqiyya Coalition, led by... MORE
Gas Lobby Takes Control of Ukraine’s Security Service
On March 11, the Ukrainian parliament appointed Prime Minister, Nikolai Azarov, and a new Security Service (SBU) Chairman, Valery Khoroshkovsky. As Ukrayinska Pravda (February 24) warned: “An additional bonus for the Liovochkin-Firtash group could be the appointment of Khoroshkovsky as the head of the SBU... MORE