Andrew Jameson
Chair, Russian Committee, ALL
Languages and Professional Development
1 Brook Street, Lancaster LA1 1SL UK
Tel: 01524 32371 (+44 1524 32371)
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From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New at TOL
Date: 12 June 2000 23:17
Transitions Online (TOL) (http://www.tol.cz) is the leading Internet
magazine covering Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the former
Soviet Union. If you aren't already a member, fill out our registration
form at <http://www.tol.cz/trialsubscr.html> to receive your free two-month
trial membership. If you'd like to become a TOL member right away, go to
<http://www.tol.cz/member.html>. And if you're a citizen of a
post-communist country, FREE annual memberships are still available at
<http://www.tol.cz/trialsubscr2.html>.
SPECIAL REPORT: And Then There Were Seven
Shortly after his inauguration in early May, Russian President Vladimir
Putin carved up the country's 89 regions into seven "super regions," in
what he said was a decisive step toward clamping down on corrupt regional
governors who have been operating without checks and balances. But on the
flip side, some analysts say that Russia now resembles a military state
with the new super regions largely mirroring already existing military
districts. What's more, Putin has appointed his own people to rule over
these new regions, above the governors and answerable only to the
president. These new overseers are mostly former KGB officers and military
generals. Defense analyst Pavel Felgenhauer examines "Russia's Seven
Fiefdoms" and Putin's "Latin-American-style junta."
http://www.tol.cz/jul99/specr05008.html
Moscow-based correspondent Anna Badkhen offers a closer look at the
appointed ruler of Russia's northwest, former KGB man and dissident
persecutor, Viktor Cherkesov, in "The Sequel."
http://www.tol.cz/jul99/specr05009.html
Still others hold out hope that Putin's reforms will truly bring about a
modicum of law and order as Elena Chinyaeva explains in her commentary on
"Battling the Barons."
http://www.tol.cz/opina/battling.html
OPINION: Barren Ground
by Julie DaVanzo and Clifford Grammich
http://www.tol.cz/opina/barrengr.html
Is Eastern Europe's population facing apocalyptic changes in the next 50
years? A recent UN report largely blamed the collapse of communism for
declining fertility rates, which may see the region's population decline by
a third. But some demographers argue that such trends aren't just a
question of economics and, in fact, predate the fall of communism.
Moreover, since Soviet-style pronatalist policies will do little to arrest
the decline, governments must concentrate their efforts on public health
initiatives.
The following article is one of TOL's Annual Surveys for 1999: exclusive
overviews of individual countries in the region written for TOL by top
local and Western analysts and edited by regional specialist Professor
Peter Rutland of Wesleyan University. These valuable resources follow the
fine tradition established by the OMRI/East-West Institute Annual Surveys.
Both sets of reports, old and new, can be found in our expanded Country
Files <http://www.tol.cz/links1.html> along with links and maps for the 27
countries in the post-communist world.
Kyrgyzstan 1999: Democracy Trapped
by Rafis Abazov
http://www.tol.cz/countries/kyrar99.html
Though Kyrgyzstan had great expectations for high achievements in 1999, the
year turned out to be a bitter disappointment. The effects of the Russian
financial crisis, a rebel incursion, and continuing border disputes with
its neighbors prevented the country from focusing on much-needed economic
and political reforms.
WEEK IN REVIEW
compiled by our correspondents throughout the region
http://www.tol.cz/week.html
Chornobyl may finally retire ... Belarusian opposition leader bugged ...
Moldovans can go back to school in Romania ... Shots fired at Macedonian
leader of ethnic Albanians ... Five executed for murder in Tajikistan ...
Attila the Hun's palace to be rebuilt in Hungary ... Lithuanian gay group
protests intolerance ... Clean bill of health for Bulgarian beaches ...
Caspian Oil-Gas conference opens in Azerbaijan ... Uzbekistan offers cash
awards for Olympic medal winners ... Chechen rebels attack 20 times in 24
hours ... Ukraine abolishes death penalty
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NOW AVAILABLE: FREE TOL GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR CITIZENS OF POST-COMMUNIST
COUNTRIES
You can send a TOL Gift Subscription by sending us the names and e-mails of
your friends or colleagues from post-communist societies that you think
would be interested in TOL. They will then receive an e-mail with their own
password and your wishes for them to enjoy all that TOL has to offer.
If you are a student, citizen, or work for an NGO in Central and Eastern
Europe, you can still get a free 12-month subscription simply by completing
the short form located at <http://www.tol.cz/trialsubscr2.html>. You will
automatically be assigned a password, allowing you full access to TOL's
original articles and extensive collection of online resources on Central
and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union. Or if you
wish, just reply to this e-mail with your name, e-mail, city, and country,
and we will register you and send you your password.
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ADVERTISE HERE!
As part of its efforts to become self-sustainable and serve as a model for
other nonprofit organizations, Transitions Online has begun offering
interested advertisers the possibility to reach thousands of readers
through our weekly electronic mailings and on our site. Check out our newly
redesigned media kit (http://www.tol.cz/mediakit/) and find out how to
instantly reach a diverse, international audience with a demonstrated
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your company or institution's exposure by targeting the English-speaking
elite in all of the 27 countries we cover.
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A Czech nonprofit dedicated to promoting independent journalism, TOL is
based in Prague and uses a network of local correspondents to provide
unique, cross-regional analysis. We encourage you to visit our site and
become part of a dynamic new media project dedicated to building
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