Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from January, 2007
Uzbekistan: Handling Succession
Sean Roberts examines how Uzbekistan will handle succession. President Islam Karimov is 70 and currently in the “bonus time” of his final term. With elections on the horizon, Uzbekistan may have a new leader soon.
Kazakhstan: German Relations
Ben Paarmann reports on the meeting between the leaders of Kazakhstan and Germany during which Germany offered support for Kazakhstan's bid to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Kazakhstan: James Giffen
Leila translates a post on James Giffen, an American businessman facing trial in the United States for bribing Kazakhstan's president, something he says that he did with the knowledge of the US government. The case has been used by opposition politicians in Kazakhstan against the president.
Georgians: Georgians on MySpace
Levan takes a look at Georgian musicians on MySpace.
Kazakhstan: Queuing for Profit
Ben Paarmann reports on a business so suited for post-Soviet countries that it's a wonder no one had already launched it in Kazakhstan: standing in line for cash. A new company launched by Ruslan Akkuzhin will allow people to hire someone to stand in lines for them. The person in...
Tajikistan: Protest Against Judiciary
Alexander reports that a small protest took place in front of Tajikistan's Supreme Court to draw attention to what protesters characterized as corrupt decisions by courts on land disputes.
Kyrgyzstan: Reactions to the New PM
Yulia of neweurasia surveys opinions around the blogosphere on the new prime minister's appointment in Kyrgyzstan.
Caucasus: iPod Purchasing Power Index
Social Science in the Caucasus posts on the idea of an iPod Purchasing Power Index and wonders why there is such a range of prices in Caucasus states. Onnik Krikorian responds to the post and looks at possible answers to why iPods are so expensive in Armenia.
Afghanistan: Aid & Corruption
Sanjar says that a significant amount of aid to Afghanistan ends up in the pockets of Afghan leaders.
Kazakhstan: Party Un-development
Sean Roberts examines efforts to consolidate political parties into and the elimination of parties in opposition to the pro-presidential Nur-Otan.
Kazakhstan: Destination Kazakhstan
neweurasia reports that Kazakhstan has ranked third most popular destination among European countries for gap year backpackers. Borat is believed to be the cause for the jump in popularity.
Kyrgyzstan: Searching for Snow
The Azamat Report goes in search of snow around Bishkek and finally manages to find some for a bit of snowboarding. Video evidence is provided.
Armenia: Election Monitor
Onnik Krikorian has a roundup of the latest news on Armenia's upcoming parliamentary election with a particular focus on efforts to provide transparency and to educate voters, something that blogger Zarchka is participating in herself.
Kyrgyzstan: The New PM
Yulia writes about Kyrgyzstan's new prime minister, noting his lack of experience relative to his predecessor and saying that the parliament would have voted for a donkey for the position just to avoid the president dismissing the parliament.
Crime and Punishment in Kazakhstan
Blogger's Trial Kazis Toguzbayev, a journalist who uploaded his articles on KUB, a group blog, was tried in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 22 January. In his article, Toguzbayev implied that the President was covering the murders of the opposition figures. He got a two-year suspended sentence for violating the Criminal Code...
Turkey is Typing….a Follow-up on the Death of Hrant Dink
Today marks a first, well for me at least! Today's article is written in direct response to your wishes, dear reader. Last week, Turkey is Typing focuses on the Death of Hrant Dink by using both Turkish and Armenian sources, and sparked an avid debate on the comments section. Many...
Kazakhstan: Blogger on Trial
Leila reports on the first blogger to go on trial for blogging in Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan: Prospering Women
Josh Foust, writing at Registan.net, says that when Afghani women are left to their own devices, they prosper.
Kyrgyzstan: New PM Candidate
Kyrgyz Report profiles the new candidate for prime minister in Kyrgyzstan.
Armenia: Khoren Palian
Zarchka laments the loss of Khoren Palian, a well-known performer of Armenian spiritual music.
Armenia: Skipping “The Priestess”
The Priestess is a new Armenian film with high production values. Rhyne of Armenia Blog wants to see the movie, but skpped out on doing so due to ridiculous ticket prices.
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