Latest Articles about Domestic/Social
Bakiyev Downsizes Government and Increases Presidential Powers
Kyrgyzstan is currently witnessing a rapid and further centralization of presidential powers. On January 26, the Kyrgyz parliament’s special committee on constitutional legislation approved several new presidential rights. These include the president’s right to appoint a special presidential council that would in turn have the... MORE
Yanukovych, Tymoshenko Hold Opposite Views on Russian Gas
Both Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her opponent in the February 7 presidential election runoff, the former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, have sought Moscow’s support for their campaigns. Both are expected to be rather pro-Russian compared to the outgoing pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, who is... MORE
Uncertainty Over Who Will Lead Dagestan Puts the Volatile Republic Further on Edge
On January 21, public protest action took place in the southern Dagestani city of Derbent. The estimated 2,000 protestors demanded the resignation of the current mayor of the city, Feliks Kaziahmedov, and a new mayoral election.The mayoral election that took place in Derbent in October... MORE
Medvedev Tries in Vain to Modernize Putin’s Political System
President Dmitry Medvedev has recently made several cadre decisions and political moves aimed at asserting his authority over the bureaucratic machine. Some of them fall disappointingly short of meeting demands sharpened by the economic recession; others are accurately subverted by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The... MORE
Yanukovych Consistently Russia-Leaning in Ukraine’s Presidential Election
Russia’s authorities have adopted a position of studied equidistance between the two main candidates during Ukraine’s presidential election campaign. Moscow has interfered only to the extent of ostracizing President Viktor Yushchenko, whose re-election chances it knew to be nil. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Party... MORE
The Politics Behind Iraq’s Second Parliamentary Election
Iraqis will head to the polls on March 7 in the second parliamentary election since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Iraqi politics are in a state of flux that is reflected in the run-up to the vote. The election law was held up... MORE
Hu’s “New Deal” with Tibet: Chinese Characteristics and Tibetan Traits?
The Hu Jintao administration has significantly tightened policy over Tibet in an apparent attempt to ensure the proverbial Chinese Communist Party’s “long reign and perennial stability” in the restive region. More hard-line cadres are being appointed to run the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). While unprecedented... MORE
Moscow Uses Commission on “Historical Falsification” to Deny Circassian Rights
“The main goal of the ‘Special Presidential Commission against falsifications of the history of the Russian Federation causing harm to Russian national interests’ is to identify and fight against conscious, imprudent falsifications, aimed on the political results,” declared Sergei Markov, the deputy head of the... MORE
Russian-Brokered Diarchy Would Best Suit Moscow in Ukraine
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition Party of Regions leader (formerly two-time prime minister) Viktor Yanukovych will face each other in the presidential election run-off on February 8. Russia has made clear that it is willing to work with Tymoshenko, Yanukovych, or both leaders... MORE
Ukrainian Election: Yanukovych Beats Tymoshenko in First Round
On January 17, the first round of the Ukrainian presidential election brought no surprises. As predicted by the pollsters, the opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych beat Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the two will face each other in the runoff scheduled for February 7. The Liberal... MORE