European Forum

Newsflash #9

NEWSFLASH #9

Covering the period: 11 May 2010 – 25 May 2010

In this issue:
►Croatia's Kosor discusses war crimes co-operation with US Ambassador
►President Ivanov reaffirms willingness to resolve name dispute
►Kilicdaroglu unanimously elected leader of CHP
►SPA returns to Parliament
►Montenegro: Djukanovic coalition triumphs in local elections
►Youth activists demand the punishment of non-uniformed persons disrupting protest
►Mass searches of oppositionists’ apartments
►Incumbent Tbilisi mayor ahead in leaked polls
►PDM expects anticipated parliamentary elections to be held in autumn 2010
►Russian opposition movement Solidarity calls for police reforms
►EU considers roadmap to visa-free travel for Russia
►“Local elections should be held in March, 2011” says Ukrainian Parliament Speaker
►Reopening of Kazakh-Kyrgyz borders
►Kyrgyz government presents draft Constitution 


And much more news from:
ACCESSION / CANDIDATE COUNTRIES: Croatia, Macedonia, and Turkey

WESTERN BALKANS: Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia

WIDER EUROPE / NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine

CENTRAL ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan


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The Newsflash of the European Forum of Democracy and Solidarity is a bi-monthly news bulletin covering relevant political developments in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, and the South Caucasus. We put main accent on political party news, while at the same time attention is being given to gender issues, minority and human rights, and the process of accession to the European Union. It is sponsored by the British Labour Party through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and is spread by e-mail to more than 500 recipients. The Newsflash is based on mass media and internal sources. Contributions and comments are highly appreciated. 

ACCESSION / CANDIDATE COUNTRIES 

Croatia 

►Croatia's Kosor discusses war crimes co-operation with US Ambassador 
On 23 May Croatia’s Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor met with US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp, in Zagreb to discuss Croatia's co-operation with The Hague tribunal. They also discussed the judiciary chapter in EU accession negotiations, which is dependent on this co-operation. On 25 May, Kosor will deliver a speech at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, and meet with US Vice-President Joe Biden.

►Croatia guarantees fair trial for "Captain Dragan"
On 13 May Croatia’s President Ivo Josipovic welcomed the arrest in Australia of war crimes suspect Dragan Vasiljkovic and insisted that Croatia will give him a fair trial. According to Josipovic, justice "could be slow" but is achievable. Vasiljkovic, a former Serb militia commander known as "Captain Dragan", is wanted for the 1991 torture and killing of Croatian civilians and prisoners of war in the Knin, and in the southern village of Bruska in 1993. Vasiljkovic has fought extradition to Croatia insisting he cannot receive a fair trial there. He had been on the run for more than a month before police arrested him on 12 May.


Macedonia

►President Ivanov reaffirms willingness to resolve name dispute
On 23 May President Gjorge Ivanov reiterated that his country is willing to resolve the long-standing name dispute with Greece, telling media that there is no alternative to EU and NATO membership. The president, however, stressed that this solution must be mutually acceptable. He said there are two ways out of the deadlock: make Greece respect a 1995 agreement between the two countries or make Greece admit that the state of Macedonia, the Macedonian nation and Macedonian language exist. Under that 1995 bilateral interim agreement, Greece "agrees not to object" to Macedonia's application for membership in international organisations and institutions that refer to it as the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia.

►Fresh ethnic tensions expected in Macedonia after UN court ruling
On 20 May the ruling by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have put the already fraught relations between the main ethnic groups in Macedonia under renewed strain. The court delivered its final verdict on the case of Johan Tarculovski, a Macedonian police officer who stood trial for crimes committed during the 2001 conflict between the country's army and ethnic Albanian rebels. The ICTY upheld Tarculovski's 12-year-long prison sentence while acquitting former Interior Minister Ljube Boskoski. Vlado Buckovski, a former Macedonian Prime Minister said that “the rhetoric between Albanians and Macedonians in the country is very sharp and this judgement will negatively influence the already bad inter-ethnic climate”, adding that “reducing Tarculovski's sentence would have relaxed the tensions."

►Leaders of Macedonia's DUI and SDSM meet
On 18 May the leader of the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), Ali Ahmeti, stated in a meeting with Branko Crvenkovski, leader of the main opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), that he has no plans to quit the ruling coalition but believes some issues must be resolved to accelerate Macedonia's EU bid. Both leaders agreed that political dialogue should be intensified and that resolving the name dispute with Greece is a top priority. The meeting, initiated by Crvenkovski, followed a recent comment by EU envoy to Macedonia, Erwan Fouere. He warned that if the cabinet fails to focus on EU-related reforms and resolve the name issue quickly, the country's EU future could be at risk.


Turkey 

►Kilicdaroglu unanimously elected leader of CHP
On 23 May Kemal Kilicdaroglu was unanimously elected new leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) at the party congress. With that, CHP has revived its hopes of coming to power next year with a complete renewal of its ideals, policies, rhetoric and leadership. The next day the new head announced a new team set to revitalise the party. Ousting the closest aides of former CHP head Deniz Baykal from the Party Assembly, Kılıçdaroğlu replaced nearly 3/4 of its 80 members, in a move seen as giving new faces a chance to contribute to the revitalization and considered a first step toward renewing the entire CHP. The new names include Professor Süheyl Batum, an expert on constitutional law; Professor Sencer Ayata, a sociologist known for his studies on social democracy; communication-strategies expert Nuran Yıldız; social-policies expert Professor Oğuz Oyan; Umut Oran, a businessman who ran against former CHP chief Baykal in the 2008 convention; and daily Cumhuriyet journalist Mehmet Faraç, who is known for his writings on terrorism. In his acceptance speech, although highlighting his allegiance to the principle of respect for different religions and etnicities, Kılıçdaroğlu focused more on diminishing the roots of poverty. “Poverty itself is the major source of separation in society,” he said, adding that the CHP will do more to help people in Southeast Turkey. Kılıçdaroğlu’s image as an honest politician – nicknamed ‘Turkish Ghandi’ - also surfaced when he referenced the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) alleged corruption cases. He specifically mentioned removing MP immunity and passing a bill on political ethics.

►Constitutional referendum set for 12 September
On 13 May it was announced that Turkey will hold a referendum on September 12, putting the government-sponsored constitutional reform package to a national vote. Acting president of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) Kırdar Özsoylu said legal arrangements concerning referenda are subject to the Election Law and that the referendum would be held within 120 days on September 12. The date is a symbolic one in Turkey as it is associated with the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup. Following President Abdullah Gül’s approval of the constitutional changes on 12 May, the referendum process officially began with the publication of the decision in the Official Gazette the next day. With the publication of the decision the YSK convened to determine the possible referendum schedule, which also ended the ongoing dispute between the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) over the referendum date for the amendments. The YSK’s decision will be valid if the top court does not annul the reform package, as the CHP announced it would apply to the highest court on 14 May for the annulment of the changes.

WESTERN BALKANS

►Finally peace and stability in Western Balkans?
On 20 May it was argued in an analysis by Radio Free Europe, that after wars related to the disintegration of Yugoslavia and a decade of tensions and bad neighbouring relations, developments in recent months are rather promising. The election of Ivo Josipovic as president of Croatia and his intensive bilateral contacts with Serbia’s president Boris Tadic, and the historic four day visit to Belgrade by Ilir Meta, Albania’s Foreign Minister were the first signs. In addition, the adoption of the Srebrenica resolution by the Serbian Assembly and Istanbul declaration between Turkey, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina — in which it has been agreed that regional policy should be based on ensuring security, permanent political dialogue and preservation of multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious characteristics of the region — are all recent promising developments. The latest mentioned has resulted in visit of the BiH Presidency Chairman Haris Silajdžić to Belgrade, his first in 18 years. It is expected that the EU-Western Balkans Conference (Sarajevo Summit) on 2 June, where all leaders of Western Balkans are expected to be present, will be the next important step.


Albania

►SPA returns to Parliament
On 24 May the Socialist opposition in Albania ended its nine month boycott of parliament following the initiation of EU-sponsored talks to resolve the country's political crisis. Speaking at the afternoon session the head of the Socialist parliamentary group Gramoz Ruci explained his party's decision to return and fully participate in the parliament’s work: “We did not boycott parliament to bring the country into a political crisis, but the political crisis that has gripped the country over the last nine months forced us to boycott parliament,” said Ruci, adding that: “We are here again to express our will to resolve the crisis.”

►SPA ends hunger strike, no agreement after first talks in Strasbourg
On 21 May, after meeting in Strasbourg Socialist Party of Albania (SPA) leader Edi Rama and Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha could only agree to try to organise a similar meeting in two weeks when EU experts will present common points that might bring closer the stances of the two Albanian political parties. On 20 May members of the parliament and supporters of SPA, the main opposition party, ended a 19-day hunger strike after the two leaders agreed to hold talks mediated by the EU to end the nearly yearlong political crisis. In a joint statement issued ahead of the meeting, EU Enlargement Commissioner Fühle and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said that Albania stands at a crucial moment on its path towards EU integration: “The EU is seriously concerned about the continuing political stalemate. We are concerned about the dysfunctional parliament and the possible systemic effects across their institutions”. Rama has insisted for months on an investigation into the June 2009 general elections, which according to the SPA leader were marred by numerous violations. In a reaction he warned that ending the strike does not mean the end for the SPA's demand for transparency. Berisha declared his openness to a parliamentary investigation of the election, however, he rejected the possibility of a recount arguing the opposition has exhausted all legal options and that he cannot override the judicial process.


Bosnia-Herzegovina

►Serbia’s Tadic meets with leaders RS
On 24 May Serbian President Boris Tadic travelled to Bosnia to reassure the leaders of the country’s Republika Srpska of Belgrade’s continued support following their reactions to his recent efforts to establish better relations with Bosnia's central government. Bosnian Serb leaders reacted angrily to Tadic’s recent moves to ease relations with Bosnia’s central government – comprised of representatives of the country’s Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Croats and Serbs - which they fear comes at the expense of their privileged relations with Serbia. Bosnian Serbs were particularly upset by Tadic’s decision to meet with Haris Silajdzic, the Bosniak member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency and its current chairman, in Istanbul in April. Discontent within was further fueled by Tadic’s decision to invite Silajdzic for a meeting in Belgrade. 

►BiH PM Spiric: “Inzko is destablising the country”
On 24 May BiH Prime Minister Nikola Spiric sharply criticised top international representative to BiH Valentin Inzko, accusing him of destabilising the country and hindering efforts by Bosnia’s ethnic leaders to reach consensus on important issues. In a letter he sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Spiric said that “legitimate and lasting progress in Bosnia cannot be achieved as long as the country is burdened with an international official who continues to disregard the rule of law”. Spiric also accused Bosnia’s diplomatic mission at the UN of preventing him from addressing a session of the UN Security Council on Monday during which the situation in Bosnia will be discussed. 

►Inzko: “Situation in Bosnia Deteriorating”
On 24 May High Representative to BiH Valentin Inzko said that reforms in the country remain stalled due to internal divisions, with Bosnian Serbs growing increasingly defiant of the international community and undermining the peace agreement which ended the country’s 1992-95 war. “While regional prospects for reconciliation have improved, the language and logic of politics inside Bosnia-Herzegovina appears to have rather deteriorated,” Inzko said. Inzko was particularly critical of the leaders of Republika Srpska, accusing them of challenging his authority and disputing the country’s sovereignty and constitutional order. He said that the Republika Srpska had led the way in undermining Bosnia’s central institutions by threatening to hold a referendum to repudiate his authority. Inzko also warned that the country’s other part – the Croat-Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) federation – had “limped from crisis to crisis”, failing to complete governmental and judiciary appointments, as well as to make budget cuts required under a three-year standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund worth €1.2 billion.

►Mladic diaries offer key new evidence at ICTY
On 20 May it was announced that General Ratko Mladic's war diaries, which the ICTY Prosecution received from Belgrade, are considered to be key pieces of evidence in some of the ongoing trials at the UN war crimes tribunal. The Prosecution recently filed motions asking for permission to use the diaries in the trials of, among others, wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. According to the Prosecution, the diaries “constitute a significant volume of new evidence”, covering the period from 29 June 1991 to 28 November 1996. In its motions to the judges, the Prosecution explained that the diaries contain notes about Mladic's meetings with a number of wartime Bosnian Serb leaders. They also include notes from his meetings with Serbian leaders, including Slobodan Milosevic, when they discussed the situation in Bosnia. In related news on 24 may Mladic’s family stated that they are trying to have him proclaimed legally dead in a court of law.

►Major operation against organised crime
On 20 May police in BIH arrested 48 people during a major operation that targeted organised crime groups involved in illicit drugs and weapons smuggling. Acting on orders from the Bosnian prosecutors’ office, police forces raided more than 100 locations throughout the country.
“Today’s operation is the result of long-lasting work by police and prosecutors… in the fight against organised crime groups,” a statement issued by the Bosnian prosecutors’ office said.

►BiH Presidency Chairman Silajdzic to make official visit to Serbia
On 19 May it was announced that BiH Presidency Chairman Haris Silajdzic is set to travel to Belgrade next week for his first official visit to Serbia since the end of Bosnia’s 1992-95 war. In a statement his advisor Damir Arnaut said that “the scheduled visit is the next step in our countries’ joint efforts to improve our relations.” Arnaut explained that the first step was taken in Istanbul in April when Silajdzic and Tadic signed a declaration pledging to work on resolving their disputes with the goal of improving the image of the Western Balkan region and attracting foreign investments. The meeting in Istanbul was the result of Turkey's long-standing efforts to help the countries of the former Yugoslavia normalize relations following their brutal wars in the 1990s.

►EC urges BiH to pass census law
On 13 May it has been announced that the European Commission (EC) is pressing BiH to approve a law on holding a population census across both entities. The head of the EC delegation to BiH, Dimitris Kourkoulas, said that Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele and Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn have. They stress that without it, EU integration will be impeded. BiH political leaders plan to conduct a census next year, but are arguing about content and wording.


Kosovo 

►Ivanović: “Attack on Serb returnees “terrorism”
On 20 May Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanović has condemned a shooting incident near a Serb returnee camp in Kosovo. Ivanović described the shooting as an act of terrorism, and called on the EU mission in the province, EULEX, “to act at last”. Ivanović explained that EULEX stood back “expecting that local police can handle it”. He warned that the returnees in the village of Žač, who now live in tents next to their destroyed homes, came under attack late on Wednesday despite the fact that a Kosovo police, KPS, patrol was deployed there 24 hours a day. “One wonders how that's possible? If Kosovo police are not providing protection and safety for Serbs, if they did not discover the perpetrators of the previous attack, then it's quite justified to ask whether they have been, through their inaction, protecting the assailants,” Ivanović was quoted as saying.

►Resolution of Islamic Conference important for new recognitions
On 20 May it was announced that the Resolution of Organization of Islamic Conference OIC specifies that since the declaration of independence, Kosovo has made a visible progress in building of democratic institutions, enforcement of state of law, economic development and the integration in the European family. Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta was quoted as saying that the approval of resolution strengthens the belief that other countries of Organization of Islamic Conference will recognize the new state in the future.

►ICG critical on rule of law in Kosovo
On 19 May the International Crisis Group has criticised the rule of law in Kosovo. More than two years after declaring independence, Kosovo struggles with uneven rule of law and a weak justice system that is failing its citizens, the report says. Furthermore, the police, public prosecutors and courts are erratic performers, prone to political interference and abuse of office. Organised crime and corruption are widespread and growing. Realising that prosperity, relations with the European Union (EU) and affirmation as an independent state depend on the rule of law, the government has taken important steps, replacing key officials and passing long-delayed reforms. But critical weaknesses remain, notably in the courts, and the government, supported by the international community, must act swiftly to curtail them. Kosovo suffers from the widespread impression that it is run by a lawless political elite in control of every aspect of society.

►Pristina says no talks with Belgrade until after ICJ ruling
On 16 May representatives of Kosovo institutions have refused to hold technical talks with Belgrade until after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules on the legitimacy of Kosovo's declaration of independence. Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci said that everything is still in the idea stage: "There is nothing concrete about time, subjects, but it is an idea that is prepared at the international and regional level.” He added that it is meaningless to talk about anything else before the issue of missing persons is resolved and Serbia returns stolen documentation. The ICJ's final ruling will be delayed now, due to the unexpected departure this month of a judge handling the case.

►Social Democrat Swoboda suggests Dayton-style solution for northern Kosovo
On 15 May European Parliament (EP) official Hannes Swoboda, vice – president of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, said that one solution for Serbs in northern Kosovo would be broad autonomy, similar to that offered Serbs in BiH, based on the Dayton Peace Accord. In an interview, Swoboda said this would require the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo to be the joint responsibility of Belgrade and Pristina. "We need a solution that would not question Kosovo's independence, but would secure wide autonomy for Serbs," Swoboda said.


Montenegro 

►Montenegro: Djukanovic coalition triumphs in local elections On 23 May, the Coalition for European Montenegro, led by the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), has triumphed in yesterday's local elections in Montenegro, winning 7 out of 14 municipalities and the city municipality of Tuzi, while it remains unclear who will lead the capital Podgorica. However, compared to latest elections support for DPS has decreased. For the first time in a decade the DPS led by the country's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by the country's parliamentary speaker Ranko Krivokapic, ran separately. SDP representatives have announced that they are "real winners" in elections in Podgorica, and the opposition coalition said it was "ready to talk with SDP to form a government." While the Electoral Commission announced that the elections were held without major irregularities, representatives of the united opposition announced that they will review the regularity of the elections in the country's capital. The opposition has claimed that a number of irregularities were seen in Podgorica, including deleting opposition voters from the electoral register without any explanation or transferring them to another polling place.

►Montenegro sentences former JNA soldiers for war crimes
On 16 May the Higher Court in Podgorica sentenced six former members of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) for war crimes. They were found guilty of ordering and committing torture against prisoners of war and civilians between October 1991 and August 1992 during an attack on Dubrovnik, and got sentences ranging from 18 months to four years. About 300 prisoners of war are believed to have been taken to a detention camp in the coastal village of Morinj, where they were tortured for months. This is the first such sentence issued in Montenegro since the country declared independence in 2006.


Serbia

►Tadic says EU plans to accelerate enlargement process
On 23 May Serbia’s President Boris Tadic said that EU officials assured him recently the bloc will accelerate the enlargement process after the world economic crisis eases. He blamed the stalemate in the integration of new members on the shift in EU focus to its economic troubles. Tadic also said he expects next month's EU-Western Balkans summit in Sarajevo to give new momentum to various bids. Serbia filed its membership application in December, hopes for EU candidate status by June 2011 and to start accession talks in 2012.

►Fuele: “reform justice and combat anti-corruption”
On 21 May EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele has said that a country that wishes to join the EU has to be fully ready for that. He added that and justice reform and fight against corruption are the primary tasks in the process. When asked whether Serbia could join the EU with an unresolved status of Kosovo and in what way that would affect Serbia's capacity to carry out reforms, Fuele said that Belgrade is “expected to have good cooperation with its neighbours”, adding that “the process of solving the status of Kosovo and Serbia's European integrations are two parallel processes.

►Deputy PM praises regional cooperation
On 20 May Serbia’s Deputy PM Božidar Đelić said that regional countries' cooperation regarding the preparation of documents for EU accession is first-class. Đelić, who is in charge of European integrations in the current Serbian cabinet, said he believed that cooperation with the countries of the region on the road to the EU was excellent. Chief of the EU Delegation to Belgrade Vincent Degert who attended the same meeting said that it was very important that the language used in the preparation of the documents was simple and efficient. Đelić was also quoted as saying that Montenegro had just answered the EC questionnaire and that Serbia would use the document

►Serbia invited to EU-Western Balkans conference
On 19 May Serbia received an invitation to next month's EU-Western Balkans conference in Sarajevo. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, has said that an agreement had been reached to hold it under the so-called Gymnich format, which means that only the names of the participants will be used in official documents and not the country they represent. Kosovo has also received invitation to the forum and insists it will participate as an independent country, equal to other attendees.

►Hague's Brammertz cautiously optimistic about Mladic arrest
On 14 May, UN war crimes tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said that he is cautiously optimistic about the arrest of Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladic. Visiting Belgrade, he said he had no reason to believe Mladic has fled Serbia, and urged he authorities to beef up their search. Brammertz also announced plans to streamline the indictment against Mladic to only 11 of the initial 15 counts, which would make for a speedier trial once he is captured. Brammertz is in Belgrade to assess the level of co-operation with The Hague tribunal. Serbia hopes that a positive report would convince the EU Council to finally allow member states to begin ratifying its Stabilisation and Association Agreement. 

WIDER EUROPE / NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES

►EU to start negotiations on Association Agreement with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
On 11 May EU governments gave the formal go-ahead to start negotiations with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan on Association Agreements set to significantly upgrade their relations with the EU. The agreements stem from EU’s Eastern Partnership program that offers six former Soviet republics the prospect of closer integration with it in return for political and economic reforms. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton called it ‘a clear sign of our strong commitment to further deepen the relationship between the EU and the countries of the South Caucasus, on the basis of shared values and principles, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights’. She made clear that the talks will be based on ‘principles of inclusiveness and differentiation,’ implying that a lack of reform progress in one country will not impede EU’s integration with others. The so-called ‘national indicative program’ is not yet public, and publicized details of the promised assistance remain sketchy. ‘The assistance will focus on three priority areas – democratic structures and good governance; trade and investment, regulatory alignment and reform; socio-economic reform and sustainable development,’ the statement said.


Armenia

►Opposition mass protest in Gyumri calling for early elections
On 24 May the Armenian National Congress (HAK) opposition alliance held a public rally in the country’s second largest city Gyumri, again denouncing the current government’s policies and calling for early elections. HAK senior member Aram Manukian said the venue choice was not ‘accidental’ since, according to him, Gyumri provided the broadest response to the opposition’s campaign against the rise in natural gas prices in April. Three local television stations ran announcements ahead of the planned rally, something that the opposition’s rallies never get in capital Yerevan. “It is ruled out that people can live well in a country whose president is the wealthiest man in it,” charged former PM Hrant Bagratian, leveling his criticism at Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharian. Aram Sargsian, the leader of the opposition Hanrapetutyun party, blamed the government for allowing a European Parliament resolution calling “for the withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan.” And Armenia’s former deputy prosecutor-general Gagik Jahangirian raised the issue of more than a dozen jailed oppositionists who, he said, remain unbending despite their poor health conditions and ‘unfair isolation’.

►Parliamentary elections in break-away Nagorno-Karabakh
On 23 May voters in break-away region Nagorno-Karabakh went to the polls to elect their fifth parliament since the unrecognized Armenian-populated republic broke away from Azerbaijan in the early 90s. According to Karabakh’s Central Election Commission (CEC) turnout was over 70% of the 95.000 electorate. More than 50 international observers and 30 media monitored and covered the elections which featured 4 political parties with a total of 82 candidates vying for 17 seats in parliament. The remaining 16 seats were contested by 44 candidates in single-mandate constituencies. The legislature in Karabakh is elected for a five-year term. The preliminary results published by the CEC on 24 May showed Karabakh Prime Minister Ara Harutiunian’s Free Fatherland party leading the vote with 46%. Parliament speaker Ashot Ghulian’s Democratic Party of Artsakh and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) garnered about 29 and 20% of the vote respectively. The Communist Party failed to clear the 6% threshold required to enter parliament. The results of the vote in single-mandate constituencies are expected to be published later. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has condemned the elections in Karabakh, which it considers to be its territory. Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission described the vote as a “new election farce”.

►HAK blasts the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)
On 21 May the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) accused the PACE of disregarding its own resolutions on Armenia that demand an end to the 2008 government crackdown on the opposition alliance. The PACE’s co-rapporteurs on Armenia – John Prescott and Georges Colombier - have repeatedly postponed fresh fact-finding visits to Yerevan since last fall, “which lead us to conclude that the situation in Armenia is quite low on their list of priorities. And we can’t find this acceptable,” stated Armen Grigorian, HAK’s representative to the Council of Europe. The PACE has refrained from discussing Yerevan’s compliance with the June 2009 resolution at its quarterly plenary sessions in Strasbourg for almost a year, leaving it to the Monitoring Committee to deal with. The committee last discussed developments in Armenia in March. David Harutiunian, head of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to PACE, presented it with a tentative timetable of political reforms which the authorities have pledged to implement. The promised reforms largely amount to changes in Armenia’s electoral, judicial and law-enforcement legislation. HAK has dismissed them as a gimmick. The issue was high on the agenda of PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visit to Yerevan last week. While reporting “very encouraging” assurances from Harutiunian, Cavusoglu criticized the authorities for their refusal to free all oppositionists currently in jail.

►Armenian parliament passes a controversial media bill in the first reading
On 20 May the parliament in first reading passed a government media bill that caused serious concern from some MPs and the country’s leading media associations, who say the sweeping amendments to the law on radio and television would enable authorities to tighten control over news reporting by local public and private broadcasters. The amendments are meant to regulate Armenia’s ongoing transition to mandatory digital broadcasting, to be completed by July 2013. TheYerevan Press Club, Committee to Support Freedom of Speech and the Internews media support group expressed their concern in a joint statement. They are particularly worried about amendments that would limit the number of TV stations in and outside of Yerevan to 18 and 9 respectively – less than the number operating now. ‘This means that […] the digitalization process will lead to a reduction in media pluralism,’ they warned. The concerns were shared not only by opposition MPs but also MPs from junior coalition partner Prosperous Armenia Party.

►ARF snubs Turkish President of PACE; other parties concerned about his (im)partiality
On 11 May the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun refused to meet Turkish president of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Mevlut Cavusoglu during his visit to Yerevan on May 12 and 13. The motivation was Cavusoglu’s refusal to visit a memorial to over a million Armenians massacred by Ottoman Turks in 1915-1918 in what many historians consider a genocide. A wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial is normally part of the itinerary of foreign dignitaries visiting Armenia. ARF parliamentary leader Vahan Hovannisian condemned Cavusoglu’s ‘disrespectful attitude’, saying: ‘in effect, Mr. Cavusoglu is making no secret of the fact that he is visiting Armenia not so much as head of PACE but as a Turkish politician.’ Cavusoglu’s visit focused on Armenia’s compliance with its Council of Europe commitments. He met with President Sarkisian, parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian, leaders of parliamentary parties and non-parliamentary opposition. All of them expressed serious concern about Cavusoglu’s intention to revive and lead the work of a PACE subcommittee tasked with facilitating a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They claim that the body cannot be impartial because his country, Turkey, continues to lend strong and unconditional support to Azerbaijan in the conflict. They cited Cavusoglu pro-Azerbaijani statements before he was elected PACE president in January.

►Local elections largely ignored by the opposition
On 10 May it was announced that most of the candidates in local elections in 24 villages (to be held this month) are from the ruling Republican Party (HHK), including 9 out of the 11 uncontested candidates. The HHK, led by President Sarkisian, controls 565 out of 915 cities, towns and villages. Its main junior coalition partner, Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), runs 80 or so local communities and has fielded only 3 mayor candidates this time around, ‘to put the emphasis on quality, rather than quantity’. Most leading opposition forces are ignoring the elections, and will likely do the same for the 2012 nationwide local poll. Opposition alliance Armenian National Congress (HAK) has fielded no candidates, saying that rural polls are ‘not solving political issues’, and that its focus remains on pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections. The local elections are also effectively boycotted by opposition Zharangutyun (Heritage) party, saying no party members expressed a wish to run for village mayor. Another major opposition party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun, is far less indifferent to local governments. The nationalist party, which was in government until April ‘09, currently boasts some 50 rural community heads. It has now nominated 2 candidates and endorsed 6 others for this month’s elections.


Azerbaijan

►Youth activists demand the punishment of non-uniformed persons disrupting protest On 11 May at a meeting at the Norway House of Human Rights, head of the National Front Party (NFP) Youth Committee Abulfaz Gurbanly stated the Committee’s aim to sue persons in civilian who were beating participants of the protests on 26 and 30 April in Baku. Footage of the beatings published in local media will be sent to head of police Ramil Usubov with the request to identify them. Gurbanly noted that police representative Ekhsan Zakhidov had said to Azadlyg radio that the participation of police in civilian in repressions of non-sanctioned protests is illegal. ‘Violence against the participants of the action occurred twice: first when they were being detained, and then at the police station’, said head of Democratic Party Youth Organisation Jamil Gadjiev, adding that 6 people beat him at the police station after detention. The participants of the meeting criticised human rights defenders who remained impartial to the violation of the right to assembly. The OSCE was also criticised: ‘hundreds of thousands of US dollars were spent on training police for mass actions. Where are the results, if all protest participants were subject to violence anyway?’. Representative of the Baku OSCE office Jacqueline Carpenter expressed the OSCE’s concern with the limitation of freedom of assembly. The office will organise seminars with the participation of representatives of the government and political powers. She, however, also made clear that citizens can fight for their rights to free assembly by legal means, by addressing courts.


Belarus 

►Mass searches of oppositionists’ apartments 
On 18 May the police and KGB conducted mass searches in apartments of democratic opposition members in Minsk, Grodno, Brest, Gomel, Mogilev, motivated by a criminal case on disseminating false information. The first search took place at the civil organisation ‘Tell the Truth!’. Computers and other technical equipment, flyers, booklets and books were confiscated from the office. 11 activists of the organisation were detained. They were questioned on the activities of the organisation; where they print their flyers and what actions they are planning. Other similar searches included journalists, newspapers, various NGOs and opposition politicians. Those detained were released on 21 May.

►Gay pride parade violently repressed in Minsk
On 15 May 8 participants of the ‘Slavic gay pride 2010’ were violently detained and will be tried on 17 May. About 30 people participated in the action, holding rainbow flags and chanting ‘no to homophobia’; ‘equal rights without compromises’; ‘homophobia is a disease’ etc. The Minsk administration had prohibited the parade, motivating it by a law that does not allow mass actions within 200 meters of underground pedestrian crossings and subway stations. Amnesty International expressed concern with the prohibition of the march and called on the Belarus authorities to respect the rights of sexual minorities.

►Oppositionist sentenced to 3 years probation for hanging national flag
On 14 May Vitebsk member of the opposition Conservative-Christian Party Sergey Kovalenko was sentenced to three years probation for hanging out the national Belarus white-red-white flag on the main Christmas tree of Vitebsk on 7 January this year. He also has to pay a fine of 3.5 mln roubles (EUR 941,32). On the third and final day of the hearing Kovalenko was given the floor and stated that he was engaged in a political action and not hooliganism, as claimed by the prosecution. The judge interrupted him saying that his statement has nothing to do with the criminal indictment.

►8 more countries join in visa sanctions against Belarus officials
On 11 May the EU announced that 8 more countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Macedonia, Norway, Croatia and Montenegro – said to be in favour of visa sanctions against the Belarus authorities. The said countries joined the EU decision of 15 December 2009, when the ban on entering the EU for 41 Belarus officials was prolonged until 31 October 2010. Afterwards, the sanctions will be reconsidered with regard to the situation in Belarus. The EU welcomed the decision of the 8 countries.


Georgia 

►Labour Party calls for boycott of Tbilisi election
On 18 May the Labor Party, led by Shalva Natelashvili, again called on the opposition parties to withdraw from the race and boycott the 30 May Tbilisi elections. He called on opposition parties to ‘not become part of a trap – called local elections - set by the terrorist regime with the purpose to save itself,’ Natelashvili said. ‘Let’s thwart [through boycotting] these so-called elections, which will amount to an inevitable end of the current authorities,’ he said. Natelashvili also claimed that the authorities, through Interior Ministry operatives, were offering his party EUR 4 million in an attempt to convince the Labor Party to run in the elections. Natelashvili, along with three other party members, is formally an MP; but Labor Party MPs are boycotting the Parliament and have not participated in any of its sittings. Ex-parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement-United Georgia, as well as National Forum party are also boycotting the local elections.

►Pre-election media monotoring shows more-or-less equal media coverage of candidates
On 17 May a pre-election media monitoring report covering May 6-12 showed that leader of the opposition Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasania received more coverage than other Tbilisi mayoral candidates on 3 TV stations (public broadcaster, Rustavi 2 and Kavkasia), while 3 other stations (Imedi, Maestro and Real TV) allocated more airtime to incumbent mayor Gigi Ugulava. The tone of coverage of both Ugulava and Alasania on national television was neutral. On Kavkasia and Maestro TV Alasania had a neutral tone of coverage, while Ugulava - neutral or negative. The media monitoring is carried out by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) with funding from EU Delegation to Georgia and UN Development Programme (UNDP). The monitoring covers main news bulletins and selected talk shows on 3 national television stations (public broadcaster's First Channel; Rustavi 2 TV and Imedi TV) and 3 Tbilisi-based stations, with an area of coverage limited mainly to the capital (Kavkasia TV; Maestro TV and Real TV).

►Leader of a religious Orthodox movement flees to South Ossetia
On 11 May Malkhaz Gulashvili, founder of the People's Orthodox Christian Movement (POCM) – the group whose several activists were arrested last week in connection to a fistfight at Kavkasia TV, said he had to flee to breakaway South Ossetia citing pressure on his family. Gulashvili told various Georgian media outlets over the phone from Tskhinvali that he had to flee from Tbilisi after his teenage son was assaulted ‘with an attempt to rape him.’ Talking to Rustavi 2 TV station, Gulashvili blamed everything on Liberty Institute, an influential Tbilisi-based think tank. POCM demanded to ban the Institute, saying it is responsible for promoting what it called ‘anti-religious,’ ‘sacrilegious’ and ‘anti-Orthodox’ ideology, among others through Tbilisi-based Ilia State University. The university was the scene of several violent gatherings last week in which members and sympathizers of radical Orthodox Christian groups attacked a small group of demonstrators rallying against what they called ‘fascism’, referring to People’s Orthodox Christian Movement.

►Incumbent Tbilisi mayor ahead in leaked polls
On 11 May a leaked poll conducted last month by the Caucasus Resource Research Center (CRRC) for the US National Democratic Institute (NDI) put incumbent Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava far ahead of any of his rivals in the upcoming 30 May election. NDI Tbilisi has tacitly confirmed the accuracy of the TV reports. According to the poll conducted between 11 and 26 April, 57% of respondents in Tbilisi said the ruling party’s mayoral candidate was their first choice (9% - second choice); followed by leader of Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasania – first choice 7% (12% - second choice). 15% of respondents could not name a first and 33% - second choice. 6% (first choice) and 12% (second choice) refused to answer. Leader of Industrialist Party and beer magnate Gogi Topadze has 5% (second choice 10%) and Christian-Democratic Movement’s candidate Giorgi Chanturia – 4% (second choice – 9%). According to another report released on the same day by Transparency International-Georgia, violations during the campaign have so far been fewer than during the 2008 early presidential and parliamentary polls. ‘However, the general picture is still far from positive,’ the watchdog said in the report on monitoring the use of administrative resources.

►Constitutional Commission agrees on basic Constitution draft
On 11 May the state commission on constitutional reform agreed on a draft that will serve as a basis for the new Georgian constitution. If approved the draft, which has yet to face many discussions, will significantly increase the Prime Minister’s powers at the expense of the Presidential authority. The authors of the draft describe it as ‘mixed governance’ where the President will act as ‘an arbiter’ between the legislative body and executive government, led by a Prime Minister elected from the ranks of the party that garners most of the votes in parliamentary elections. Avtandil Demetrashvili, the chairman of the commission said that the draft would be sent for expertise to the Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe on constitutional and legal matter. He also said that the draft would include a provision on going into force after the 2013 presidential election.


Moldova 

►PDM expects anticipated parliamentary elections to be held in autumn 2010
On 24 May the Democratic Party of Moldova stated it believes anticipated parliamentary elections will be held in autumn 2010. In a press statement, the political faction specifies that, according to the Constitution, after June 16, the Parliament will be dissolved. The anticipated parliamentary elections are to be held in a reasonable period of time. PDM thinks the phrase "reasonable period of time" means a few weeks or months, and not years. That means, parliamentary elections cannot be avoided. They will be held next autumn.

►Council of Europe gives go-ahead for referendum in Moldova
On 24 May head of Moldova’s delegation to the Council of Europe Ana Gutu stated that the Council has given a green light to hold a referendum to amend the Moldovan constitution. In her words, the March 2010 recommendations by the Venice Commission - entailing a parliamentary dissolution and early elections - were given on the basis of an abridged translation of the Constitution into English and French, provided to the Venice Commission members. "I have no idea who bobtailed the translations. I can't understand why this fact was not established last month, on April 5-6, when PACE rapporteur on Moldova and Venice Commission member Josette Durrieu was in Chisinau”, Gutu said. She then had a meeting with the members of the constitutional reform commission and rectified the situation. Moldova's Acting President, Parliament Chairman Mihai Ghimpu presumes the erroneous Constitution text is precisely the reason why Moldova could not till now reach a consensus with the Venice Commission on the referendum question.

►United Moldova Party (UMP) forms faction
On 21 May UMP leader Vladimir Turcan stated that the 5 MPs under his leadership in parliament formed a fraction for unaffiliated MPs. This became possible after parliament adopted amendments to its regulations. Until now, parliamentary groups could only be set up during the first ten days of the new legislative body. There are two more unaffiliated MPs, representing the European Action Movement - Veaceslav Untila and Iurie Colesnic. Turcan said the possibility of Untila and Colesnic joining the new faction has not been considered yet. Vladimir Turcan insisted on setting up a group similar to the five that exist in Parliament, arguing that the unaffiliated MPs are discriminated against as they cannot field candidates for important state positions, do not form part of standing commissions and cannot submit proposals for modifying the agenda of the sittings. Members of the government coalitions opposed the creation of new factions. A compromise solution was to set up an apolitical group of independent and unaffiliated MPs. The group of unaffiliated MPs of the United Moldova Party comprises 5 MPs who defected from the Communists Party in late 2009: Vladimir Turcan, Victor Stepaniuc, Ludmila Belcencova, Svetlana Rusu and Valentin Guznac.

►AEI will disband parliament only when PCRM agrees to constitutional changes
On 11 May in a televised debate leaders of ruling Alliance for European Integration (AEI) stated that the parliament will only be disbanded when the Communist Party (PCRM) votes in favour of changing Art.78 of the Constitution on Presidential elections procedure. The opposition PCRM said it will publicise its position only after negotiations. The debate showed that government and opposition are still interpreting the advice of the Venice Commission – that the procedure be simplified and parliament should adopt changes to Art.78 - differently.1st Vice-Chair of Our Moldova Alliance (AEI member) Victor Osipov claimed a difference between PCRM’s ‘populist statements and actions’: while saying that changes to Art.78 are possible based on consensus, PCRM’s former statements and actions show that they are only ready for discussion after the disband of parliament. Honorary chairman of the Democratic Party (DPM) Dumitru Diacov said he believes the AEI proposal – direct Presidential elections - should placate PCRM, and referred to public surveys that show the wishes of the people in this direction. PCRM MP Grigore Petrenko said his party is proposing Presidential elections in 3 rounds, as all-national elections ‘mean increased spending, waste of time, and a change of the format of government’.

►Public opinion survey puts four parties in parliament
On 11 May the Chisinau-based Institute of Marketing and Public Opinion Surveys IMAS-INC published a survey showing that if parliamentary elections were held tomorrow only four parties would make it into parliament: Vladimir Voronin’s Communist Party (PCRM) with 28%; Vlad Filat’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDPM) with 16,5%; Marian Lupu’s Democratic Party with 8,6%, and Mihai Ghimpu’s Liberal Party with 4,9%. Parties currently in parliament which would not make it are Seraphim Urechean’s Alliance Noastra Moldova (ANM) with 2,1%, and Vladimir Turcan’s United Moldova Party with 0,4%. IMAS-INC director Doru Petruci stated that the PCRM has a falling trust rate. The LDPM has reached equal trust rate with the PCRM – around 35%. The LP lost half of its electorate, practically finding itself at the edge of the electoral threshold, which was lowered last week from 5% to 4%. The survey was made between 15 April to 3 May 2010, with an error margin of 3%. During the last (early) elections of 29 July 2009 the PCRM garnered 44,69%, the LDPM – 16,57%, the LP – 14,68%, the DPM – 12,54% and the ANM – 7,35%.


Russia 

►Russian ex-PM tells court Khodorkovsky's arrest was political
On 24 May Russia's former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said in a Moscow court that the Kremlin ordered the arrest of Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky because he had angered then-President Vladimir Putin by funding opposition parties. Kasyanov told the court hearing that Putin told him the owners of the Yukos oil firm -- Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev -- had been arrested in 2003 because they had given funds to Russia's Communist Party. Kasyanov, now a Russian opposition leader, spoke to international reporters on 24 May about his witness testimony in the Yukos case. "I gave my reasons why I believe that this trial is politically motivated and that the charges brought against [the former Yukos owners] are groundless," he said. Khordorkovsky's business empire was subsequently carved up and sold off -- mostly to Russian state-controlled firms. Russian officials have always denied any political motivation for the arrests.

►Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan Customs Union talks fail
On 21 May it was announced that Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan failed to reach agreement on establishing a joint customs union. In a statement from St Petersburg, where leaders were discussing the possible union, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the sides "couldn't agree on all the issues." He said duties within the car and aviation industries were stumbling blocks in the talks, but that negotiations will continue. Putin's Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Sidorsky, suggested that oil duties were the major sticking point. Earlier this year, the three countries agreed to establish the union to boost trade and investment.

►Russian opposition movement Solidarity calls for police reforms
On 21 May the Russian opposition Solidarity movement made proposals to the Interior Ministry in an effort to reform the country's police force. The Interior Ministry controls Russia's police and various state security forces. The reform program unveiled on 18 May is included in a 15-page pamphlet that Solidarity says will be sent to Russian leaders. "The key task of our proposal is to re-establish the public's trust in law-enforcement organs," co-author Ilya Yashin told reporters. "In essence [the pamphlet] says the current structure of the [Interior Ministry] must be dissolved and the law enforcement system constituted from scratch." The reforms include recommendations that Solidarity said should be implemented over the next four years. Perhaps most importantly the pamphlet recommends cutting the number of police officers in half. Retired police Major General Vladimir Ovchinsky told media that while there are positive elements in Solidarity's proposals, he opposes calls for big cuts in the number of police. "[…] Here the number of murders per 100,000 of the population is 15 times higher than in EU countries and three times higher than in the U.S.," he said. President Dmitry Medvedev has recently initiated legislation to reform the law enforcement bodies. Numerous opinion polls indicate that the Russian public has little trust in the police.

►EU considers roadmap to visa-free travel for Russia
On 10 May Foreign Ministers of the EU in Brussels raised the prospect of offering Russia a roadmap for visa-free travel at their upcoming Summit in Rostov-on-Don, near the Black Sea coast, on 31 May. The roadmap of the EU is a list of reforms that a country has to put in place to qualify for visa-free travel, such as introduction of biometric passports, adoption of laws on data protection and improvement of border security. It does not oblige the EU to drop visa requirements on a set date. But it does oblige the EU to react if the target country meets the criteria. The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radek Sikorski, said the EU should not exclude the six post-Soviet countries that are included in EU’s Eastern Partnership program. The program includes the three South Caucasian countries –Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – and Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. "The political impulse for intensifying visa dialogue must be the same for all these countries - Russia and the six countries of the Eastern Partnership, and we will defend this,“ Sikorski said.


Ukraine 

►Ukraine’s parliament to adopt legislation package for closer EU cooperation
On 23 May Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych stated that in June parliament is to pass a legislation package necessary for launching a free trade zone with the EU and start the visa liberalisation process. “We have a cooperation plan with EU for 2010 and we are fulfilling it. First of all we are working towards liberalisation of visa procedures which would result in a visa-free zone between Ukraine and Europe. Secondly, we are aimed at free trade zone with Europe. In June the parliament is going to pass a legislation package that would give us a green light for more substantial negotiations with the EU” – Yanukovych said.

►“Local elections should be held in March, 2011” says Ukrainian Parliament Speaker
On 22 May Ukrainian Speaker of Parliament and chairman of the People's Party, Volodymyr Lytvyn, said that local elections should be held on 27 March, 2011. He said that the terms of powers of lawmakers from local councils and city, town, settlement heads should be unified. Lytvyn said that local councils and heads should be elected for five years, and the Ukrainian Constitution should be changed. The relevant draft law has been sent to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. If the court does not have any remarks, the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) would be able to finally endorse the amendments in September. "If the changes were made in September, it's impossible to hold elections in October," he said. A consensus in regard with the election system should be found. Lytvyn said that local elections should be held according to the majority election system. As local media earlier reported, President Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions intended to figure out if their idea to call local elections on 31 October would be supported within the coalition. On 1 April the Verkhovna Rada sent the draft bill scheduling local election for March 2011 for assessment. Two months earlier the parliament cancelled the May 30 local election.

►Speaker of parliament considers eventual federalisation destructive for Ukraine
On 22 May Parliament Speaker, Volodymyr Lytvyn, said he thinks that Ukraine's eventual move from the unitary state to a federation could destroy the country. "If one tried to put this idea in practice, Ukraine as a state would disappear," Lytvyn said. History shows it is reasonable to form a federation on the initiative of separate lands which want to unite in one state, the speaker said. "At first sight this is an attractive idea, but one should understand that the nations based on federal principles of government, were formed by a bottom-up approach. Today's innovations are top-down and aim to divide Ukraine into parts and declare it as federation," Lytvyn noted. The national policy must not be based on such principles, Lytvyn emphasized. As local media reported, Viktor Tykhonov, Deputy Prime Minister for regional policy, in late April favoured Ukraine's federalisation.

►Russia's President Medvedev in Ukraine to boost ties
On 17 May Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was in Ukraine for a two-day visit to boost ties with Kyiv. Relations have improved since pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was elected in February. At the end of the first day of the visit, Medvedev said Russia would use its influence as a member of the G8 and G20 "to advance all issues related to Ukraine, including IMF and World Bank support." Medvedev's pledge came as Ukraine is seeking to secure a billion credit program with the IMF to prop up its struggling economy. Medvedev and Yanukovych also signed agreements on border demarcation, inter-bank cooperation, satellite navigation, European security, and collaboration between the two country's security services. The Ukrainian nationalist group, Svoboda, held a small demonstration near the city center during Medvedev's visit in protest of what it said was the sell-out of the country's sovereignty to Russia. Despite his pro-Moscow credentials, however, Yanukovych has indicated that there are limits to the thaw. He has, for example, been cool to a proposal from Moscow for a merger between Ukraine's energy holding Naftogaz and Russia's state-controlled gas giant, Gazprom. Yanukovych has suggested the EU should be involved in any merger talks and has insisted that Naftogaz be an equal partner of Gazprom.

►Thousands protest pro-Russia policy in Kyiv
On 11 May about 3,000 demonstrators gathered outside Ukraine's parliament to protest the recent agreement to extend the Russian navy's lease at a Ukrainian port. Some 2,000 supporters of President Viktor Yanukovych and the bilateral agreement in turn surrounded parliament, aiming to keep the protesters from entering the building. No violence was reported. The agreement reached in April angered nationalists who regard the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in the port of Sevastopol as tantamount to military occupation. At the demonstration, opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko urged opponents of Yanukovych to conduct massive street protests to demand his resignation.

►Opposition ‘Committee to protect Ukraine’ launched
On 10 May the Ukrainian opposition announced the creation of an opposition movement, the Committee to Protect Ukraine. The committee is made up of opposition parties represented in parliament: Fatherland, the Reforms and Order party, the People's Movement, the People's Self-Defense party, and the right-wing Liberty Party, which is not in parliament. Well-known Ukrainian writer Dmytro Pavlychko was elected by committee members as the coordinator of the new committee. Pavlychko announced that the committee's major goals are "to protect Ukraine's integrity and sovereignty, resist any attempts to establish foreign control over Ukraine's strategic facilities, and fight for the preservation of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic choice." The opposition is accusing Yanukovych of planning to put key Ukrainian economic sectors under Russian control. 

CENTRAL ASIA

Kazakhstan 

►Reopening of Kazakh-Kyrgyz borders
On 20 May the Kazakh government stated that the border with Kyrgyzstan will be reopened. The border was closed on 7 April 2010 out of security considerations after the violent upheavals in Bishkek that ousted former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. With the situation in Kyrgyzstan being far from stable, the Kazakh government decided to open the border nonetheless. The closing of the border put severe economic pressure on both countries. The Kyrgyz people pledged for the resumption of Kyrgyz-Kazakh trade. The authorities in Astana answered: "Taking into account the difficult socio-economic situation in Kyrgyzstan and numerous appeals of citizens of the friendly country, President of Kazakhstan gave instruction to the Government to remove temporary restrictions on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz state border entry points. Still, the Kazakh border police will comply strict measures: "The boundary, customs and migration control will be tightened in order to ensure timely neutralisation of possible challenges and threats. We call on the interim government of Kyrgyzstan for speedy stabilisation of the situation, restoring rule of law and solution of problems of the country's population."

►Installation of a Council of Elders
On 18 May the Kazakh Culture Minister Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed told journalists on 18 May that a Council of Elders will be established in a further attempt to enhance Kazakhstan’s “national unity”. This decision is part of the National Unity Doctrine that was created at the 15th session of the Assembly of Kazakhstan's Peoples in October 2009. The idea of a Council of Elders stems from Turkmenistan, where such a council exists since 1991 as an alternative parliamentary institution. Kazakhstan already has a similar structure, The Assembly of Kazakhstan's Peoples. Kul-Mukhammed did not explain what responsibilities the new council will have.


Kyrgyzstan

►Kyrgyz government presents draft Constitution
On 21 May the Kyrgyz government published a draft version of the new Constitution. The most important adjustment of the old Constitution is the shift in power from the president to the Prime Minister. The new president can only serve one term of six years and does not have full immunity. The president will lose some of his powers which will be transferred to the Prime Minister. Under the new Constitution Kyrgyzstan will be a secular state. Kyrgyz is set as the official state language, but Russian will be the second official language. The Constitution is created by 75 members of the Constitutional Committee. On 27 June the citizens of Kyrgyzstan will vote in a referendum to approve the new Constitution. On the same day, they will vote for Roza Otunbayeva as their interim president until December 2011. Parliamentary elections will be held on 10 October 2010.

►Ethnic disturbances in Eastern Kyrgyzstan
On 20 May thousands of people took to the streets in the town of Jalalabad in the east of Kyrgyzstan. These protests were a continuation of the unrest that occurred one day before. On 19 May ethnic disturbances occurred in Jalalabad. The interim government first interpreted these events as Bakiyev supporters trying to stir up ethnic violence in the country. According to the demonstrators Bakiyev had nothing to do with the rally. They were protesting against a local Uzbek minority leader, Kadyrzhan Batyrov. Special police had to intervene and two persons were deadly injured. The interim government declared a state of emergency and imposed a night curfew on the town of Jalalabad. A day later the protest was continued and approximately 5000 people took to the streets. They gathered at the city's horse track where they assaulted regional governor Bektur Asanov and acting Defence Minister Ismail Isakov, who came to talk to the crowd. The protestors demanded the arrest of Kadyrzhan Batyrov as they hold him responsible for stirring up hostility in the area. After a short break, it has been restless in Kyrgyzstan since protests took place in Southern Kyrgyzstan on 13 May. Several organisations and countries warn Kyrgyzstan for the devastating effects of ethnic conflicts.


Tajikistan

►Installation of a State Committee on Religious Affairs
On 12 May state official Abdurahim Kholiqov was appointed by Tajik President Imomali Rahmon to lead the State Committee on Religious Affairs to oversee the country's religious organisations. This was a former task of the Ministry of Culture but the increasing importance of controlling and regulating religious organisations in Tajikistan becomes increasingly important and asks for a special body. Some of the responsibilities include the sending of people on the annual hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the registration of mosques and churches.


Turkmenistan

►Multiparty system for Turkmenistan
On 14 May the Turkmen parliament urged the commission to prepare a draft law on political parties. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov gave orders to create an Agrarian Party in order to "join forces of our society in fulfilling our agricultural policy, to ensure from the ideological point of view the transformations that govern land-water relations in the village, as well as further improve social conditions of rural people." Since gaining independence in 1991 Turkmenistan is led by a single party, the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, which has a Communist ideology. They are only democratic in appearance, analysts consider the rule of Berdymukhammedov a dictatorship. The creation of an extra agrarian party will not create any true opposition within the Turkmen political stratum.


Uzbekistan

►Mysterious circumstances surrounding Zeromax
On 17 May it was announced that Zeromax, one of Uzbekistan's largest companies, is being wound down by the government. Zeromax is, among others, active within the field of mining operations and agricultural enterprises. According to an anonymous source assets of the company and its subsidiaries were frozen last week and the main office in Tashkent was closed. Several Zeromax employees testified that the companies' account was frozen. Contacting the company is impossible at the moment. There are several explanations for these mysterious circumstances. Some people suspect the Uzbek government to schedule a take-over of the company. Others think this situation might indicate that the presidential Karimov family is losing power in Uzbekistan. Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the President, occupies a powerful position within the company.

________________________________________ 

Edited by: Marina Ohanjanyan, Danijel Tadić, Marianna Tsirelson and Ingeborg Visscher
For comments or to (un)subscribe, contact us at info@europeanforum.net ________________________________________ 

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