By Bakhtiyor Naimov (11/30/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Six registered parties participated in the elections: the National Democratic Party of Tajikistan (NDPT), which is the party of the President and consequently the most popular and strongest; the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) with its biggest support in the rural areas especially in the central valleys; the Communist Party (CP), which once used to be the dominant party; the Social Democratic Party (SDP); the Democratic Party (DP); and the Social Party (SP). The latter are all small parties with small constituencies, and no clear and original agenda. Not surprisingly, the NDPT won the overwhelming majority of the votes, i.

By Kakha Jibladze (11/30/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On October 27, Defense Minster Irakli Okruashvili appeared before the Georgian parliament to answer questions concerning military spending and transparency. In May, a visiting team from NATO criticized the Georgian reform effort, stating that while progress existed, there were problems. According to reports by the news service Civil.

By Marat Yermukanov (11/16/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

With a few weeks to the polls, the administration of President Nazarbayev was certainly following the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. Thousands of miles apart from each other, the two countries have many similarities. The economies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan heavily depend on mining and oil industry, and the majority of the rural population in both countries, behind the façade of economic growth, is living from hand to mouth.