December 10, 2020
Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Eurasia, usually posted on Thursdays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
A protest in August in Minsk, Belarus, following the flawed presidential election. Protests continue as Belarusians demand reforms, including free and fair elections. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Homoatrox (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Kyrgyzstan Snap Presidential Election: January 10, 2020
Kyrgyzstan will hold a snap presidential election on January 10, 2020, and plans to re-run the parliamentary elections originally held on October 4, 2020 because election officials annulled the results following protests over vote-rigging. The snap presidential election is happening because the president has resigned in the wake pf the protests.
The political climate was tense heading into the October 2020 parliamentary elections. It subsequently exploded following said elections. More
RFE/RL (December 4, 2020): 20 Potential Kyrgyz Presidential Candidates Submit Fees And Signatures
Reuters (December 10, 2020): Nationalist resurgence fires up Kyrgyzstan’s traditional storytellers
Kazakhstan Legislative Elections: January 10, 2020
Kazakhstan has scheduled legislative elections for January 10, 2021. The country’s elections take place in the context of an authoritarian system in which critics of the government face harassment and arrest. As such, no genuine opposition has representation in the legislature. More
RFE/RL (December 10, 2020): Kazakh Election Campaign Kicks Off With No Opposition Parties On Ballot
Joanna Lillis, Eurasianet (December 7, 2020): Kazakhstan: Civil society complains of pre-election pressure
Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021
Russia is due to hold parliamentary elections by September 19, 2021. Russian elections are neither free nor fair. Nonetheless, the opposition has been making some gains in recent regional elections, helped by opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s “Smart Vote,” a campaign of tactical voting, in which they developed a list of candidates the best chance of beating Vladimir Putin’s United Russia. More
Meduza (December 10, 2020): Levada Center: Youth support for Putin drops to 20 percent
Armenia Parliamentary Elections: Due in December 2023, snap elections possible
Armenia is in the midst of a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Some have called for snap elections.
Ani Mejlumyan, Eurasianet (December 10, 2020): Without a clear alternative, Pashinyan manages to cling to power
RFE/RL (December 5, 2020): Protests Swell As Armenian Opposition Issues Ultimatum For PM’s Resignation Over Karabakh Deal
DW (December 10, 2020): Erdogan praises Azerbaijan’s ‘glorious victory,’ calls for regime change in Armenia
Past Eurasia Elections
Georgia Parliamentary Runoffs: November 21, 2020
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 31, 2020 in a climate of political tension, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. Georgian Dream claimed victory following the elections. However, many opposition parties are claiming fraud and protesting the results and demanding new elections. International observers noted significant flaws in the elections, and observed that there were issues with public confidence in the polls. More
Agenda.ge (December 10, 2020): Fifth round of election talks between ruling party, opposition postponed
RFE/RL (December 9, 2020): Georgia’s Ruling Party, Opposition Fail To Reach Deal After Fourth Round Of Talks
Agenda.ge (December 9, 2020): Ruling party vows to accept repeat elections if investigation reveals that 1% of votes was rigged
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 15, 2020
Moldova held the second round of its presidential election on November 15, 2020. Pro-Europe center-right former Prime Minister Maia Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent. More
Alexandru Demianenco, New Eastern Europe (December 9, 2020): Moldova is entering a period of protest in the midst of a pandemic
DW (December 6, 2020): Moldova: Protesters demand chance to oust pro-Russia parliament
Belarus Presidential Election: August 9, 2020
Belarus held a presidential election on August 9, 2020. In a vote widely deemed not free and not fair, incumbent Alexander Lukashenko declared victory. However, the opposition declared that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya had in fact won. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in protest to demand free and fair elections, even in the face of assault and arrest by security forces. Protests continue. More
Sergei Kuznetsov, Politico (December 10, 2020): Lukashenko hangs on as protests continue for a fourth month
Craig Turp-Balazs, Emerging Europe (December 7, 2020): In Belarus, protest has become a part of everyday life
David A. Wemer, Atlantic Council (December 7, 2020): Belarusian opposition leader’s message to the West: ‘Stay with us and we will win’
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
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Eurasia This Week: December 10, 2020
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Last Updated: February 26, 2021 by 21votes
December 10, 2020
Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Eurasia, usually posted on Thursdays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
A protest in August in Minsk, Belarus, following the flawed presidential election. Protests continue as Belarusians demand reforms, including free and fair elections. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Homoatrox (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Kyrgyzstan Snap Presidential Election: January 10, 2020
Kyrgyzstan will hold a snap presidential election on January 10, 2020, and plans to re-run the parliamentary elections originally held on October 4, 2020 because election officials annulled the results following protests over vote-rigging. The snap presidential election is happening because the president has resigned in the wake pf the protests.
The political climate was tense heading into the October 2020 parliamentary elections. It subsequently exploded following said elections. More
RFE/RL (December 4, 2020): 20 Potential Kyrgyz Presidential Candidates Submit Fees And Signatures
Reuters (December 10, 2020): Nationalist resurgence fires up Kyrgyzstan’s traditional storytellers
Kazakhstan Legislative Elections: January 10, 2020
Kazakhstan has scheduled legislative elections for January 10, 2021. The country’s elections take place in the context of an authoritarian system in which critics of the government face harassment and arrest. As such, no genuine opposition has representation in the legislature. More
RFE/RL (December 10, 2020): Kazakh Election Campaign Kicks Off With No Opposition Parties On Ballot
Joanna Lillis, Eurasianet (December 7, 2020): Kazakhstan: Civil society complains of pre-election pressure
Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021
Russia is due to hold parliamentary elections by September 19, 2021. Russian elections are neither free nor fair. Nonetheless, the opposition has been making some gains in recent regional elections, helped by opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s “Smart Vote,” a campaign of tactical voting, in which they developed a list of candidates the best chance of beating Vladimir Putin’s United Russia. More
Meduza (December 10, 2020): Levada Center: Youth support for Putin drops to 20 percent
Armenia Parliamentary Elections: Due in December 2023, snap elections possible
Armenia is in the midst of a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Some have called for snap elections.
Ani Mejlumyan, Eurasianet (December 10, 2020): Without a clear alternative, Pashinyan manages to cling to power
RFE/RL (December 5, 2020): Protests Swell As Armenian Opposition Issues Ultimatum For PM’s Resignation Over Karabakh Deal
DW (December 10, 2020): Erdogan praises Azerbaijan’s ‘glorious victory,’ calls for regime change in Armenia
Past Eurasia Elections
Georgia Parliamentary Runoffs: November 21, 2020
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 31, 2020 in a climate of political tension, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. Georgian Dream claimed victory following the elections. However, many opposition parties are claiming fraud and protesting the results and demanding new elections. International observers noted significant flaws in the elections, and observed that there were issues with public confidence in the polls. More
Agenda.ge (December 10, 2020): Fifth round of election talks between ruling party, opposition postponed
RFE/RL (December 9, 2020): Georgia’s Ruling Party, Opposition Fail To Reach Deal After Fourth Round Of Talks
Agenda.ge (December 9, 2020): Ruling party vows to accept repeat elections if investigation reveals that 1% of votes was rigged
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 15, 2020
Moldova held the second round of its presidential election on November 15, 2020. Pro-Europe center-right former Prime Minister Maia Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent. More
Alexandru Demianenco, New Eastern Europe (December 9, 2020): Moldova is entering a period of protest in the midst of a pandemic
DW (December 6, 2020): Moldova: Protesters demand chance to oust pro-Russia parliament
Belarus Presidential Election: August 9, 2020
Belarus held a presidential election on August 9, 2020. In a vote widely deemed not free and not fair, incumbent Alexander Lukashenko declared victory. However, the opposition declared that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya had in fact won. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in protest to demand free and fair elections, even in the face of assault and arrest by security forces. Protests continue. More
Sergei Kuznetsov, Politico (December 10, 2020): Lukashenko hangs on as protests continue for a fourth month
Craig Turp-Balazs, Emerging Europe (December 7, 2020): In Belarus, protest has become a part of everyday life
David A. Wemer, Atlantic Council (December 7, 2020): Belarusian opposition leader’s message to the West: ‘Stay with us and we will win’
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
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Category: This Week Tags: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia