Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from November, 2007
Armenia: World Bank Corruption
Following last week's visit to Armenia by Dr. Beatrice Edwards, Director of International Programs for the Government Accountability Project (GAP), Blowing the World Bank Whistle alleges that corruption in the international financial organization reached the highest levels at its Yerevan office.
Armenia: Elephant Controversy
Blogian reports that another controversy is brewing in attempts to find a companion for Hrantik, Yerevan Zoo's only elephant. Because of concerns with conditions in the zoo as well as Armenia's climate, the decision by the Sri Lankan government to present an elephant as a gift to the zoo is...
Turkey: Hidden Armenians
Blogian says that Amazon.com has announced the date for the release of the English translation of ”My Grandmother: A Memoir,” a book by Turkish human rights lawyer who discovered her Armenian roots when she was became an adult.
Armenia: HaShiSh
Life in the Armenian Diaspora reports that HaShiSh, an Armenian punk rock band from South America, is touring the U.S. Meanwhile, Unzipped posts an account of former System of a Down frontman, Serj Tankian, performing in London.
Armenia: Demise of the Dollar
Life Around Me reports that the Armenian Dram continues to strengthen against the Dollar. While many in Armenia continue to believe that the change is connected with the upcoming presidential election, the blog notes that it is set to continue as the New Year approaches and many Armenians exchange dollar...
Georgia: Russian Peacekeepers
Steady State looks at how the Georgian authorities use public concerns over tensions and clashes with Russian peacekeepers stationed in the breakaway region of Abkhazia for its own political ends.
Georgia: Media Petition
Resistance Georgia reports that Georgian journalists on both sides of the political divide are signing a petition to protest Imedi TV beign taken off the air during the recent clashes in Tbilisi.
Armenia: Telethon
Run by an immigrant from Armenia now living in the United States, Blogian urges its readers to make a donation to the annual Thanksgiving Day Telethon held in the Diaspora. A day after the fund raising, The Armenian Observer reports that the telethon raised over $15 million.
Slovenia: Last Combat's Dormant Battles
On Last Combat, Slovenia is, so far, a rather obscure place, writes The Glory of Carniola. Russia is a pretty busy battlefield, though.
Turkmenistan: Turkmenbashi's Hidden Wealth
Steve LeVine reflects on the article, in which a very interesting question is being raised: whatever happened to the first Turkmeninstan's President Saparmurat Niyazov's fortune, which reportedly accounts for billions of dollars.
Turkmenistan: New Foreign Education Programs
Conquistador reports that the US embassy has been sponsoring a number of educational programs recently, offering to take Turkmen students to the United States for better education.
Kyrgyzstan: OSCE to Monitor Elections
Asel informs that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will send nearly 300 observers to observe the upcoming Parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan: Stabilization Money
Ben is doubtful whether the recently-announced $4bn stabilisation fund in Kazakhstan will be used prudently.
Armenia: World Bank Corruption Allegations
Oneworld Multimedia reports that although the mainstream media in Armenia are covering allegations of corruption in World Bank projects in the country, it was blogs that broke the news months before any newspaper or online publication.
Armenia: Responsible Politics
Following the return of the first and former president, Levon Ter Petrosian, to the political stage in Armenia, the Armenian Libertarian-Socialist Movement says that to make amends for past misdeeds he should eventually back out and support another opposition politician's candidacy for next year's presidential election.
Georgia: Neo-Bolshevik Propaganda
Resistance Georgia, an anti-Saakashvili blog, says there are grounds to compare the administration of the Georgian president to the Bolsheviks.
Kazakhstan: Gangster Movie Hits Box Office
The first Kazakh fully commercial movie – shot, cut and promoted without state support with the purpose to extract money from the box-office – has produced a big debate in the blogosphere. “Racketeer” is a movie about a young sportsman, who had to make money in the 1990s – a...
Kazakhstan: Economic Crisis Aftermaths
In the aftermath of slight economic and financial crisis, which the government prefers to call a “correction of the market”, the bloggers keep on discussing its consequences. Sarimov says that the annual Kazakhstan’s Congress of Financiers has been postponed indefinitely. Mr. Saidenov, chairman of the National Bank, explained that the...
Turkmenistan: Strengthening the Army
Maciula reports that president of Turkmenistan – the country that sticks to neutrality in foreign affairs – called for continuous strengthening of the army defensive capacity.
Kyrgyzstan: Election Thresholds Debated
The Azamat Report says that Kyrgyzstan is buzzing with discussions of the 5% and 0.5% thresholds for the parliamentary elections. Because of the ambiguous wording of the Elections Code, it was unclear how these thresholds to be calculated.
Kazakhstan: New Blog Studies Competitiveness
Adam Kesher presents new blog project, launched by a newly established think-tank that is going to research Kazakhstan's competitiveness issues.
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