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From: Transitions Online <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New at TOL
Date: 30 October 2000 23:54
Transitions Online (TOL) (http://www.tol.cz) is the leading Internet
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NEW AT TOL:
WEEK IN REVIEW
http://www.tol.cz/week.html
Easy, But Irregular, Victory For Akaev
Czechs Close Deal With Austria Over Nazi-era Forced Laborers
Kostunica: War-Crimes Admission Taken Out of Context
Tajikistan Trades in the Ruble for a New Currency
Bodies From Sunken Russian Sub Retrieved
Yugoslavia Takes Steps Toward International Integration
Harvard Hit With Second Lawsuit Over Russian Aid Scandal
Holbrooke Urges Bosnia To Join the Region's Transition
Georgian Prosecutors Offer New Evidence on Journalist's Murder
Latvian Finance Ministry Live on Webcam
OUR TAKE: Russian Man's Burden
More than a few chuckles were let loose last week when a group of
Russian parliamentarians announced their plans to send observers
to the United States to ensure that 7 November presidential
elections would be free and fair, and to see just how
democratic Americans really are. But they did have a point.
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=16&NrArticle=373
The full text of this article also appears below.
ELECTIONS SPECIAL: Redefining Kosovo
by Avni Zogiani
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=2&NrArticle=370
In the first democratic exercise since the end of Serbian rule in June
1999, Kosovars went to the polls in 28 October local elections. Ibrahim
Rugova--the veteran political leader of the province and leader of the
Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)--has claimed victory in advance of
the official results, which are expected to come out early next week.
But it is unlikely that his victory will mean much immediate change
for the beleaguered province.
ELECTIONS SPECIAL: Kyrgyz President Re-Elected Amid Controversy
by Alisher Khamidov
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=2&NrArticle=371
President Askar Akaev rolled to an easy victory in Kyrgyzstan's 29
October presidential elections, taking nearly 75 percent of the vote
and ensuring another five years in power. His triumph surprised no
one, since the authorities had thrown up numerous obstacles for his
opponents. With the OSCE's conclusion that "the international
standards for equal, free, fair, and accountable elections were not
met," Krygyzstan received yet another blow to its rapidly fading image
as an outpost of democracy and progress in Central Asia.
FEATURE: A Small Kingdom With a Small King
by Dima Bit-Suleiman
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=2&NrArticle=369
In Ajara, Georgia, there may not be prosperity, but there is peace. The
Black Sea resort zone in the southwest of Georgia, near the Turkish
border, is a gem in an otherwise troubled country. Though the
autonomous republic has seen better days economically, Ajara
emerged unscathed from the civil war that ensued after Georgia's
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has avoided tensions
with breakaway Abkhazia and ongoing ethnic strife.
BOOKS: "Tsar Boris"--From the Dacha, in Retrospect
by Elena Chinyaeva
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=5&NrArticle=366
Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin recently published his
memoirs, "The Presidential Marathon." Though missing any hoped-for
revelations of political scandals and the expected self-glorification, the
book does reconstruct, in its dry way, the atmosphere and drama of
Russia under Yeltsin's rule.
BOOKS: Uzbekistan 101
by Roger Kangas
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=5&NrArticle=367
As the most populous country in the region, Uzbekistan is, in many
ways, the linchpin of Central Asian cohesion--be it trade routes or
security measures. Detailed analyses of this key country are often not
readily available for the general reader for a simple reason: because it
is one of five Central Asian states, and one of 15 Soviet successor
states, discussions of Uzbekistan tend to be in larger comparative
assessments or regional treatments. "Uzbekistan: Transition to
Authoritarianism on the Silk Road," by Neil Melvin, one of the first
primers on an independent Uzbekistan does the job.
OPINION: Owning Up to History
by Lubos Palata
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOLnew/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=5&NrSection=3&NrArticle=368
The agreement signed last week in Vienna to compensate people
forced to work in Austria during World War II isn't only long-delayed
satisfaction for those victims of Nazism, but is a turning point in the
modern history of Austria. In agreeing to compensate Nazi-era forced
laborers, Austria finally admits to the dark side of its recent past. Now,
the onus is on other Central European countries to do the same.
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OUR TAKE: Russian Man's Burden
More than a few chuckles were let loose last week when a group
of Russian parliamentarians announced their plans to send
observers to the United States to ensure that 7 November presidential
elections would be free and fair, and to see just how democratic
Americans really are.
Nine of Russia's wackier State Duma deputies put forth a resolution
that envisioned creating a group of election observers to send
to the United States--in particular, to California and Texas, where
they expect the gravest violations of voter rights; to establish
a foundation to preserve American democracy; and to set up a
"Voice of Russia" radio station that would broadcast the real
news to Americans. The resolution was not taken seriously by
other Russian lawmakers, and on 27 October, the Duma voted not
to vote on it.
Though the story didn't get much press, the little attention
that it did receive served only as a source of amusement for
Westerners and a source of embarrassment for parliament. It
seemed like a lot of trouble just to make a point.
Still, it might have done Americans some good to listen to
a "Voice of Russia" broadcast on 7 November, for no other
reason than some insight into how Eastern Europeans sometimes
perceive American observations of their elections and "meddling"
in their democracies. People in Texas or California might have
heard something like this:
"American comrades, Voice of Russia is proud to bring you
independent broadcasts of the U.S. presidential elections. ...
A statement released today by Russian election observers
said the U.S. presidential elections should be declared invalid
as only 38 percent of registered voters turned up at polling
stations. Political apathy and a poor choice of candidates
ensured the low voter turnout.
A Russian political analyst told Voice of Russia that he is
deeply concerned about the preservation of democracy in the
United States, and that low voter turnout means democratic
values are not being exercised. In Russia and Belarus, to
name just a few countries, elections have been declared invalid
and undemocratic when less than 50 percent of registered voters
have turned out.
Observers also reported widespread disenfranchisement among
voters, with high numbers of ethnic minorities feeling
excluded from the vote.
Furthermore, Russian election observers said the U.S. presidential
elections were a sham from the start, with voters being forced to
choose between two candidates based only on their ability to
form coherent sentences and make appropriate gestures in front
of television cameras. What's more, third-party candidates were
excluded from the presidential debates. Despite the fact that
some 64 percent of Americans said they would have liked to see
Green Party candidate Ralph Nader participate in the debates,
Nader was barred, and even threatened with arrest when trying
to enter the debates. (According to U.S. electoral rules,
candidates must receive 15 percent of voter support to be included
in debates). American democracy must be questioned when voters
are not allowed to hear all candidates in an open forum. Excluding
third-party candidates is against the fundamental and constitutional
rights granted to Americans. ..."
When put into perspective, it doesn't sound so absurd. In the least,
and despite evidence that the Russian presidential elections were
fraudulent, such a broadcast might serve to remind Westerners
that a bit of humbleness is in order when preaching the gospel
of democracy.
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