Bruce Pannier is a Central Asia analyst and appears regularly on the Majlis podcast for RFE/RL.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev (file photo) Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev is due to arrive in Russia today for a short visit -- the latest in a line of CIS leaders to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ostensibly, the reason for Nazarbaev's visit is bilateral relations. However, in Putin's recent discussions, the issue of Kyrgyzstan has been high on the agenda. That is especially relevant for today's meeting as Russia and Kazakhstan both have sizable strategic interests in Kyrgyzstan.
The debate around parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan spread today as a group of opposition lawmakers condemned the recent vote. The development signals a departure from the street protests that continue in a number of Kyrgyz cities, and suggest that pressure is growing ahead of the second round of voting on 13 March. Meanwhile, a mayor in the south of the country has threatened to declare a state of emergency amid continued protests in his city.
Opposition supporters tried unsuccessfully today to occupy a regional administrative building in an eastern province of Kyrgyzstan as demonstrations continue ahead of the second round of parliamentary elections on 13 March. Protesters in Naryn Oblast have had the building in the provincial capital surrounded for days, and only temporarily suspended their blockade of a major highway. They are challenging the authorities' decision to remove the local incumbent -- opposition candidate Ishenbai Kadyrbekov -- from the ballot ahead of the 13 March runoff.
Protests have increased since 27 February Kyrgyzstan’s opposition parties are stepping up their protests over the results of the first round of parliamentary elections on 27 February. Opposition parties are calling for annulment of the results of the ballot and demanding early presidential elections.
President Nazarbaev (file photo) Assurances this week by a senior presidential aide in Kazakhstan that the country's next presidential election is still nearly two years away have highlighted a lack of unanimity on a delicate constitutional debate. The dispute pits those who believe President Nursultan Nazarbaev should be made to honor the seven-year term set out by the constitution against those who believe the scheduled date in late 2006 suits the country just fine. Either way, frustrated opposition leaders are preparing to offer their alternative to seven more years of Nazarbaev rule as soon as possible.
Turkmenistan's President Saparmurat Niyazov this week announced his plan for a massive shutdown of regional hospitals, forcing the sick and elderly to the capital Ashgabat for all but the most rudimentary treatment. The plan could translate into a death sentence for those unable -- for financial or other reasons -- to make the difficult journey to the capital. It appears to be another step in what some observers say is an attempt to dismantle the country's already ailing health-care system.
With votes still being counted from parliamentary elections on 27 February, Tajikistan's ruling People's Democratic Party is already celebrating victory. The party is led by President Imomali Rakhmonov. When Rakhmonov cast his vote, he all but announced his intention to run for president next year. Now that his party is set to increase its majority in parliament, it seems he will face few obstacles. RFE/RL looks at what the recent election means for Tajikistan and hopes that the country is advancing toward a more democratic form of government.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov (file photo) Prague, 28 February 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said today that parliamentary elections held in Tajikistan yesterday fell short of international standards.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov (file photo) Tajikistan holds parliamentary elections on 27 February, and in the weeks leading up to the poll opposition parties have registered many complaints about undue government interference in the vote. But the election news out of Tajikistan is far from being all bad. Observers say Tajikistan is maturing politically and that if this week's elections fall short of being free and fair, there are at least signs the groundwork is being laid for better elections in the future.
Tajik voters go to the polls on 27 February to elect a new parliament. It's the second parliamentary vote since the country's devastating civil war in the 1990s -- and observers see the election as a gauge of the country's progress toward achieving security and democracy. Most analysts forecast victory for the ruling People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT), led by its chairman, Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov. But many observers say this vote will be a marked improvement over the 2000 parliamentary vote, which was marred by flaws. [Also see Part 2 --> /featuresarticle/2005/02/14278ea8-9adb-4902-854d-9c32eb05047b.html , Part 3 --> /featuresarticle/2005/02/11cb2715-0e12-48fd-901b-10bb2be10306.html , and Part 4 --> /featuresarticle/2005/02/c98b7994-8381-4e55-9851-dd2e65a8b1a0.html of this series.]
President Askar Akaev (file photo) Kyrgyzstan holds parliamentary elections on 27 February and the country’s youth have never been so politically active. Previously, common wisdom held that young people in Kyrgyzstan were apathetic when it came to politics. But the number of youth groups making their voices heard shows the young people of Kyrgyzstan -- perhaps inspired by groups and events abroad -- are feeling a new strength. They have become a force that political parties are now trying to win over to their side.
Demonstrations have erupted across Kyrgyzstan today, just days ahead of the 27 February parliamentary elections. The protests -- in at least three of the country’s seven oblasts -- are the most widespread in the run-up to the vote so far and are in response to the exclusion of some opposition candidates from poll.
The Ak Zhol opposition party in Kazakhstan is in the midst of an internal dispute that could result in a split. Ak Zhol had indicated it would join forces with some of the country's other opposition groups and field a single candidate in presidential elections scheduled for early next year. But a meeting of the party on 13 February gave rise to a public rift between two Ak Zhol chairmen -- jeopardizing the party's crucial potential role in any alliance aimed at unseating incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbaev.
In the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, fierce campaigning has been under way for several weeks for the 27 February parliamentary vote. But to the south in Tajikistan -- which holds votes the same day -- the situation is considerably more subdued. Only six political parties are registered to participate in the Tajik ballot. And unlike Kyrgyzstan's simmering opposition movement, Tajik oppositionists are facing numerous difficulties -- while attracting little notice or interest. These groups seem likely to vanish from the political arena with little protest from the public.
President Karimov (file photo) The Russian daily newspaper "Nezavisimaya gazeta" recently published an interview with Uzbek President Islam Karimov. The interview published on 14 January was the first Karimov had given to a Russian newspaper in two years and it provided some insight into the man who has led Uzbekistan since independence from Moscow in 1991. RFE/RL spoke with experts in the East and the West about the interview, which comes amid rising discontent in Uzbekistan and a growing threat of extremism.
Kazakhstan's Nazarbaev rarely sees much dissent In the first years after the Soviet Union disintegrated, the newly independent Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were considered the West's greatest hopes for democracy in Central Asia. Both countries contained political opposition that, if not always appreciated by the authorities, was at least tolerated. Opposition newspapers were distributed. People felt free to protest. Events of the past week illustrate how differently the two countries have evolved in the past decade, however. Dr. Bhavna Dave, a specialist in Central Asian affairs who teaches at the London-based School of Oriental and African Studies, spoke to RFE/RL about why these two countries ended up taking such different paths.
Lawyers for the embattled Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK), the country's main opposition party, failed yesterday to persuade an appellate court to overturn a ban imposed on the party earlier this month. The influential party has been extremely vocal in its short existence and despite a poor showing in last year's parliamentary elections, the DVK seems to still irritate, and threaten, the government. The DVK has not given up hope of having the court-imposed ban lifted. But the moves against it may be part of plans to weaken the opposition ahead of next year's presidential elections.
Tajikistan holds elections to parliament next month, but so far it looks like an easy victory for the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan led by President Imomali Rakhmonov. Most of the other parties have had problems getting all of their candidates registered and some parties -- both officially registered and not -- face the possibility of their leaders heading to jail. This is the second election since the end of the country's civil war, but it looks to be less free and fair than the previous poll. Much of what the opposition gained by signing a peace agreement looks set to be lost through elections.
Tajik women Gender violence is present in every country of the world. But in some conservative societies of inner Asia, it has not even been considered an issue until recently and remains a taboo subject for public discussion. It is not only men committing acts of violence against women. In many cases in these traditional societies, it is older female relatives that are the tormenters. As women’s rights groups across much of Eurasia on 25 November observe an annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, RFE/RL looks at some of the people working to change local opinions about violence against women.
Recent media reports suggest that remnants of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime are riddled with leadership rivalries and internal divisions that were exacerbated by October's relatively peaceful elections in Afghanistan. But in an interview with RFE/RL's Afghan Service, a Taliban spokesman denied reports of any splits in the Islamic movement. Spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi also condemned the recent abduction of three female UN employees and dismissed reports that Taliban backers are targeting all international aid workers in Afghanistan. But Hakimi also warned that the Taliban plans to punish some aid workers who carry out suspicious activities.
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