olga russia

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Evaluating Democracy in Russian Domain Fifteen Years after By Olga Medvedkov, Wittenberg University

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EU Members, 2004

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The Orange Revolution January 14th, 2005 The victory of Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko at the presidential elections Who Poisoned Yushchenko?

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Ukraine is split along the Dnepr River

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The Rose Revolution January, 2004 The victory of Georgian opposition leader Mickhail Saakashvili at the presidential elections

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Abkhazia, Ajaria, and South Ossetia Separatism

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Russia Putin’s Electoral Reforms On November 1st, 2004, the State Duma overwhelmingly approved, in its first reading, the presidential bill scrapping direct gubernatorial elections in Russia's 89 regions. Only the Communists and a handful of independents voted against the bill. President Vladimir Putin signed a bill on December 12, 2004 to end the election of governors by popular vote. The Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, gave the measure the final stamp of legislative approval on December 15, 2004 with a vote of 145-1. The new bill on elections to the lower chamber arrived to the State Duma on December 9th, 2004. The chamber would be formed on the basis of party list. The proposed new law prohibits the creation of electoral blocks.

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Putin’s Territorial-Administrative Reform Seven Federal Districts FAR EAST SIBERIA URALS NW CENTER VOLGA N. CAUCASUS

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The seizure of NTV and the closure of Segodnya and Itogi, and other free channels of Russian Media constitute one of the greatest setbacks to Russian democracy. Competitive elections cannot occur without a free press. Corruption cannot be fought without a free press. Elected government officials cannot be held accountable without a free press. And, ultimately, Russia cannot become a normal European country without a free press. Putin is Curbing Free Press

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Today we made the decision to join the Third World    President Vladimir Putin's economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov, has bitterly criticized the dismantling of the Russian oil giant Yukos, crippled by tax demands. "A transition has been made... to the interventionist trend. This model implies the state's extremely incompetent interference in the economy," he said. He denounced the recent forced sale of the main Yukos production unit, Yuganskneftegaz, as "the scam of the year". Putin’s Economic Reforms Mikhail Khodorkovsky Russia's richest man has fallen foul of the Kremlin and politics

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Putin’s Welfare Reforms A law that gives retirees, the disabled, war veterans and others cash stipends instead of benefits such as free medicine and public transportation took effect Jan. 1, sparking the largest uproar in Putin’s five years in power.

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Belarus Belarus is closer on the authoritarian scale to Turkmenistan than any other post-Soviet state. Its leader retains a firm hold on the political, social and economic life of the country. Just recently, Belorussians "freely" voted the government of President Alexander Lukashenka in for a third consecutive term. Much can be said about a country where the security apparatus is still called the K.G.B., as it was during the Soviet days, and where opposition is silenced through physical intimidation.

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Moldova Moldova has also experienced a limited amount of democratic freedoms. The country remains split between the secessionist, Russian-speaking, authoritarian Trans-Dniester region and the rest of the country.

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Transcaucasus

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Azerbaijan In Azerbaijan, power recently passed from Aliyev-senior, in charge of the republic in Soviet times, to his son, Aliyev-junior, in one of the few such power transfers around the world. This type of regime change can hardly be characterized as democratic, and yet Azerbaijan is considered a multi-party democracy. The security forces use teargas, truncheons and firearms to break up the opposition demonstration and retake Freedom Square, Baku

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Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

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Central Asia

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Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- are headed by the men who were in charge of these republics in Soviet times. Having changed their titles from the first secretary of the Communist Party to prime minister/president was largely the extent of democracy in these states. Tajikistan experienced a vicious civil war from 1992-1996. Only Kyrgyzstan has experienced a relatively fair and peaceful transition to democratic rule

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Turkmenistan stands apart even amongst other Central Asian republics in the degree to which the executive has a dominant role in the country. Its leader, Turkmenbashi, has cultivated a Stalin-like cult of personality, wiping out any hint of opposition to his autocratic rule. Niyazov has made himself president for life

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Russia’s North Caucasus is an Ethnic Quilt

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War in Chechnya

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Russia’s Demographic Crisis The Russian population might decrease to 75-100 million in 50 years compared to 143.1 million in 2003 Since 1992, Russia's population has decreased by 2.5%. The average national standard for a Russian couple is 1.3 children. It is two times less than the law of the nation's survival demands. If in 1989-1990 the death rate was 11 per 1,000, in 2003 it was 16.4 per 1,000. As a result, Russia is at the very bottom of the longevity list in the world. The average life expectancy for a Russian man is 58, and for a woman 72. In comparison, the averages are 77-78 and 80, respectively, in more prosperous countries.

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Meanwhile, the demographic crisis threatens to depopulate entire regions of Russia, especially in the north, Siberia and in the Far East. The resultant vacuum is immediately filled with the near-the-border population of China. According to some estimates, about 500,000 illegal Chinese immigrants currently reside in the above-mentioned territories, although the real number is, probably, much smaller. These immigrants are willing to populate Russian territories legally, as well. Recently, Beijing informed Moscow that it could send 200,000-300,000 contract workers a year to Russia. This proposal caused Russian ultra-nationalists to hit the roof. "Soon, we will have an authentic Chinatown in Siberia! They will make us eat borsch using chop-sticks!" they cry out. Chinese emigrants to conquer Siberia?

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Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin