Bruce Pannier is a Central Asia analyst and appears regularly on the Majlis podcast for RFE/RL.
A two-day international conference on labor migration starts today in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. It's an appropriate choice of venue, as roughly one out of every 10 residents of Tajikistan is a migrant worker. Representatives from Russia, Mexico, the Philippines, and other countries are due to attend.
Parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan are scheduled for October, and political groups are already active. RFE/RL takes a look at the recent changes in the Kazakh political landscape as parties and candidates set their sights on the vote.
aftermath of bomb blast in Tashkent Mounting concerns about extremism in Central Asia are focusing increasingly on Uzbekistan -- the country where most extremist acts are committed. RFE/RL reports on possible explanations for Uzbekistan's rising role as the hub of Central Asian terrorism.
Kyrgyzstan's prime minister narrowly avoided being dismissed yesterday in a confidence vote in the upper house of parliament. Some deputies accused Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev of financial abuses, but others said the move was precipitated for purposes of pre-election positioning, with both parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for next year.
It has been a week since explosions and gunfire rocked the Uzbek capital Tashkent and the ancient Silk Road city of Bukhara. Much remains unclear about the violence. Who exactly was responsible? Why did they use the tactics they did? And why has the country's Interior Minister been out of sight?
The United Tajik Opposition (UTO) was a principle player in Tajikistan during the 1992-1997 civil war. The grouping of Islamic and democratic forces disbanded not long after the 1997 peace agreement, but with elections to parliament due next February, some of the same groups that made up the UTO are planning to renew the coalition with an eye on seats in parliament.
Last week's violence in Uzbekistan brought back memories of similar attacks in Uzbekistan in 1999 and 1997. Those previous incidents were both blamed on Islamic extremists, and the government of President Islam Karimov seems intent on blaming the latest round on militants as well. RFE/RL looks for patterns in the waves of Uzbek violence, and at how the government may respond this time around.
Tajik-Russian relations appear to have reached their lowest level since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Tajikistan has been making unprecedented demands of Russia lately, including the gradual removal of Russian border guards from the Tajik-Afghan border. RFE/RL looks at this shift in policy and the possible reasons behind it.
Tajikistan's former Interior Minister Yakub Salimov has been formally charged with treason and attempting to overthrow the government. The charges date back to the days of the Tajik civil war and its aftermath, and the trial process to come promises to open many old wounds.
Turkmenistan today celebrates Flag Day, a holiday that coincides with the 64th birthday of the country's president, Saparmurat Niyazov. This Flag Day comes as Niyazov prepares to launch a new satellite television station he says will show the world "the real Turkmenistan." But as RFE/RL reports, Niyazov's vision of Turkmenistan may not necessarily reflect what other observers are seeing.
Prague, 31 January 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Darigha Nazarbaeva's new political entity, Asar, held its first congress as an officially registered party today. But that news was somewhat overshadowed by the announcement by an aide to her father, Kazakhstan's current president, that Nursultan Nazarbaev will run for re-election in 2006.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov appeared to add to his list of potential political opponents this week when he fired a military commander who had helped keep him in power during the country's civil war. Rakhmonov's sacking of the commander of the presidential guard followed a series of dismissals of senior opposition figures from government posts.
On 27 January, Darigha Nazarbaeva, the eldest daughter of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, predicted her Asar party would win half the seats in parliament in elections later this year. Asar has experienced a meteoric rise since last September, when Nazarbaeva decided to turn the social movement into a political party. RFE/RL examines Asar's rapid rise to the forefront of Kazakhstan's political scene.
Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission announced yesterday that amendments and additions to the Election Code have been approved. Some of the changes are significant and likely to affect not only potential candidates and political parties but the way the media cover election campaigns.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov has reshuffled the government. The official reason is to bring in some fresh faces and talents. But some say the changes are aimed more at bolstering the president's party ahead of parliamentary elections next year.
An independent journalist in Kazakhstan was released from jail last week and declared "semi-free" by the authorities. RFE/RL was not clear on the meaning of "semi-free" and looked into the matter to find out just how free the journalist really is.
A draft media law was adopted by Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament last month and could soon be passed by the upper house. If adopted, the law would place a new set of restrictions on journalists. Kazakhstan's embattled independent media say the adoption of the law could severely hinder their ability to critically report on events in the country.
In Kyrgyzstan, several opposition members of parliament claim to have found listening devices hidden in their offices. The security service and the government have denied any involvement, leaving open the question whether the bugs are genuine and, if so, who planted them.
Prague, 15 January 2004 (RFE/RL)-- Tajikistan's Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP) issued a statement late last night, criticizing the 12 January Supreme Court ruling that jailed four IRP members.
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