Latest Articles about Domestic/Social
Ruling Coalition to Expand Following Approval by Constitutional Court
The Ukrainian constitutional court on April 8 approved the formation of the pro-presidential coalition in parliament in early March. The main controversy was over the right of individual people’s deputies to join the coalition against the will of their caucuses. The court decided that deputies... MORE
Who’s Who in Kyrgyzstan’s New Government?
Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government is slowly taking shape. Key positions have been filled and a number of important domestic policy decisions made. The head of the provisional government Roza Otunbayev, recently met with ambassadors from various countries and representatives of international organizations (www.akipress.kg, April 11).• Roza... MORE
Chechnya’s Parliament Criticizes Russian Presidential Envoy in the North Caucasus
On March 31, Chechnya’s parliament issued a statement expressing its disapproval of the presidential envoy to the North Caucasus, Alexander Khloponin. According to the Chechen parliament, delays in changes in the socio-economic development of the region were disappointing and could potentially damage President Dmitry Medvedev’s... MORE
Tulip Revolution Reloaded
April 7 became yet another day of momentous change in Kyrgyzstan. More than 70 people died during clashes with police, and roughly 1,000 were injured in anti-government protests across the country (www.diesel.elcat.kg, April 8). The scope of causalities is unprecedented in Kyrgyzstan. Spontaneous protests erupted... MORE
Circassian Genocide Issue Gains More Publicity and Support in the Northwest Caucasus
The main reaction of Circassians living in their historical homeland in the North Caucasus to the seminal conference on the Circassian “genocide” issue held in Tbilisi appeared to be highly positive. Many sounded very enthusiastic about Georgia’s indication of interest in the problem, which is... MORE
Medvedev Seeks Balance Between Fighting Islamists and Stemming Rising Xenophobia
On April 1, President Dmitry Medvedev paid an unexpected visit to Dagestan, where he presided over a meeting of the National Counterterrorism Committee (NAK) in the republic’s capital, Makhachkala. The visit was dedicated to fighting terrorism following the twin suicide bomb attack in the northern... MORE
The Gorran Movement – A Change in the Iraqi Kurdish Political Landscape
The emergence of a new Kurdish opposition movement in Iraqi Kurdistan—Gorran (meaning “Change”)—has complicated the political landscape of northern Iraq. A break-away movement of many top PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) members founded in February 2009, Gorran won 25 of 111 seats in the Kurdish... MORE
China’s Ecological Woes: Drought and Water Wars?
Are there policy and administrative failures behind the unprecedentedly severe drought that is devastating China’s southwestern provinces? The same question is being asked about the unusually ferocious sandstorm that blanketed northern and eastern China last week. The country’s ecological degradation has had dire global consequences.... MORE
Russian Mass Media Attack Bakiyev
In the past two weeks, the Russian media has fiercely criticized the Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s, regime. Newspapers and TV programs have sought to reveal the president’s corruption and nepotism, with some newspapers alleging the regime’s involvement in the killing of journalist Gennady Pavluk last... MORE
Ukraine’s Old-New Siloviki
The 2006 constitution, like its 1996 predecessor, gives the president the right to appoint the Foreign and Defense Ministers, Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Prosecutor-General, and the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NRBO). Candidates for the first four posts... MORE