PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN: A FAIRER GAME OR SAME OLD STUFF?
By Alman Mir-Ismail (5/18/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: Azerbaijani elections have been always problematic. They have been harshly criticized by the international community and domestic opposition alike, and have failed to provide a level playing field for all political forces in the country. Due to the widespread fraud during the elections, the political parties from the ruling and opposition forces in the country have failed to recognize each other’s interest and instead focused on antagonism and mutual insult, leading to a high level of distrust and political polarization on both sides.EURASIANIST THEORY AND STRATEGIC SECURITY IN THE RUSSIAN MUSLIM SOUTH
By Thrassy Marketos (5/4/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: In “The Grand Chessboard”, Zbigniew Brzezinski classifies the Russian post-Cold War schools of geopolitical thought into three: the “Zapadnik” (pro-Western) approach; the Slavophile, nationalistic and imperialist approach; and the Eurasianist approach, a counter-alliance involving some sort of Eurasian anti-American coalition designed to reduce the United States’ preponderance in Eurasia. The West always supported the Zapadnik approach. But in Russia, it has increasingly lost influence.ENERGY RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE CAUCASUS: GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENCY
By Daniel Linotte (5/4/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: The revolutions of Georgia, Ukraine and the Kyrgyzstan installed new governments that appear willing to address what is often perceived as the major obstacles to economic development, namely poor governance and high corruption levels. These countries have inter alea one common feature: they have very limited endowments of energy resources, particularly oil and gas. De facto, neighboring countries – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – are much better endowed.SAAKASHVILI ON THE ROPES?
By Joel Myers (5/4/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: Saakashvili hit the ground running after his election in January of 2004. His strong patriotic rhetoric, coupled with his pledges to fight corruption and bring Georgia closer to the West, galvanized the public and gave them hope. He certainly did not disappoint, sending a package of reform bills to parliament within the first month of his presidency, and quickly arresting a number of high profile businessmen and politicians on charges of corruption.Visit also
Staff Publications
Silk Road Paper S. Frederick Starr, Greater Central Asia as A Component of U.S. Global Strategy, October 2024.
Analysis Laura Linderman, "Rising Stakes in Tbilisi as Elections Approach," Civil Georgia, September 7, 2024.
Analysis Mamuka Tsereteli, "U.S. Black Sea Strategy: The Georgian Connection", CEPA, February 9, 2024.
Silk Road Paper Svante E. Cornell, ed., Türkiye's Return to Central Asia and the Caucasus, July 2024.
Book Svante E. Cornell, ed., "The Changing Geopolitics of Central Asia and the Caucasus" AFPC Press/Armin LEar, 2023.
Silk Road Paper Svante E. Cornell and S. Frederick Starr, Stepping up to the “Agency Challenge”: Central Asian Diplomacy in a Time of Troubles, July 2023.
Silk Road Paper S. Frederick Starr, U.S. Policy in Central Asia through Central Asian Eyes, May 2023.