April 1, 2021
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 wedding in front of a golden statue of the late dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, aka Turkmenbashi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan held parliamentary elections in late March, although no genuine opposition is able to operate in the country and there have never been free or fair elections. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Ben Paarmann (CC BY 2.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021
Armenia is holding snap parliamentary elections on June 20 in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
RFE/RL (April 1, 2021): Armenian parliament approves changes to electoral system
Christian Mamo, Emerging Europe (March 31, 2021): What to expect from Armenia’s snap election
AFP (March 28, 2021): Armenia PM Pashinyan to resign in April ahead of snap election to defuse crisis
Emil Avdaliani, Modern Diplomacy (March 27, 2021): Armenia’s surefire election winner? Russia
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
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC (April 1, 2021): The West waits for Putin’s next move as Russia-Ukraine tensions rise
Robyn Dixon, Washington Post (April 1, 2021): Maria Butina, Russian who conspired to infiltrate U.S. groups, visits Navalny in jail, with video cameras in tow
Editorial Board, Washington Post (April 1, 2021): Opinion: Why Alexei Navalny’s hunger strike should raise alarms worldwide
Anton Zverev and Andrew Osborn, Reuters (March 31, 2021): Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny launches hunger strike in bid for medical care
Claire Moses, New York Times (March 29, 2021): Navalny vs. Putin
Meduza (March 26, 2021): Opposition figure Lyubov Sobol wins petition to ease house arrest
Uliana Pavolva, Moscow Times (March 26, 2021): A decade after Pussy Riot’s ‘Punk Prayer,’ Maria Alyokhina still has plenty to protest about
Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs (May/June 2021 issue): Russia’s weak strongman: the perilous bargains that keep Putin in power
Uzbekistan Presidential Election: October 24, 2021
Uzbekistan is holding a presidential election on October 24, 2021. Elections in Uzbekistan are neither free nor fair, and political opposition is not able to operate freely in the country. More
Eurasianet (March 31, 2021): Uzbekistan tightens rules for media as president braces for re-election
Human Rights Watch (March 31, 2021): Uzbekistan: independent blogger attacked
RFE/RL (Mach 30, 2021): Uzbek activist reveals “threatening” video as he prepares to run for president
Past Eurasia Elections
Turkmenistan Parliamentary Elections: March 28, 2021
Turkmenistan held parliamentary elections on March 28, 2021. Turkmenistan is a highly repressive state that has never held free or fair elections, and lacks a genuine political opposition. More
AKIpress (April 1, 2021): U.S. Department of State criticizes human rights practices in Turkmenistan
Eurasianet’s Akhal-Teke (March 30, 2021): Turkmenistan: Rotten tomatoes review
RFE/RL (March 29, 2021): Turkmenistan’s authoritarian leader wins Senate seat with “100 percent” of the vote
Paul Bartlett, Nikkei Asia (March 27, 2021): Is Turkmenistan’s secretive presidency becoming a family affair?
Georgia Parliamentary Runoffs: November 21, 2020
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 31 and November 21, 2020 in a climate of political tension, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. Tensions have exploded into a full-blown political crisis. More
Nataliya Vasilyeva, The Telegraph (April 1, 2021): Russia warns against travel to Georgia after protesters pelt eggs at Russian TV anchor on his birthday
Euractiv/AFP (March 31, 2021): EU-mediated Georgia crisis talks fail on second try
JAMnews (March 30, 2021): EU mediator again in Tbilisi with proposals on how to solve Georgian political crisis
Ian Kelly and David J. Kramer, The Bulwark (March 29, 2021): How the U.S. should respond to the trouble in Georgia
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 15, 2020
Moldova a presidential election in November 2020. Pro-Europe center-right former Prime Minister Maia Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent. However, no party has a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies are outnumbered by pro-Russian parties), leading to political instability and the constant possibility of snap elections. More
Iulian Ernst, bne IntelliNews (April 1, 2021): Moldova enters state of emergency amid overlapping health and political crises
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (March 23, 2021): Suspicions rise over Moldovan Socialists’ pursuit of Sputnik V
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
Grigory Ioffe, Jamestown Foundation (March 31, 2021): Belarus’s ties with the west: the implacable downward spiral
Evija Djatkovica, Foreign Policy Research Institute (March 31, 2021): The Belarus crisis through the eyes of its Baltic and Nordic neighbors
bne IntelliNews (March 30, 2021): Belarus’ opposition abandons attempts at dialogue with Lukashenko, Tikhanovskaya branded a terrorist
DW (March 29, 2021): Belarus charges Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya with terrorism
Anna Schaverien, New York Times (March 27, 2021): Eurovision song contest disqualifies Belarus over political lyrics
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.
Eurasia This Week: April 1, 2021
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Last Updated: April 9, 2021 by 21votes
April 1, 2021
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 wedding in front of a golden statue of the late dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, aka Turkmenbashi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan held parliamentary elections in late March, although no genuine opposition is able to operate in the country and there have never been free or fair elections. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Ben Paarmann (CC BY 2.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021
Armenia is holding snap parliamentary elections on June 20 in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
RFE/RL (April 1, 2021): Armenian parliament approves changes to electoral system
Christian Mamo, Emerging Europe (March 31, 2021): What to expect from Armenia’s snap election
AFP (March 28, 2021): Armenia PM Pashinyan to resign in April ahead of snap election to defuse crisis
Emil Avdaliani, Modern Diplomacy (March 27, 2021): Armenia’s surefire election winner? Russia
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
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC (April 1, 2021): The West waits for Putin’s next move as Russia-Ukraine tensions rise
Robyn Dixon, Washington Post (April 1, 2021): Maria Butina, Russian who conspired to infiltrate U.S. groups, visits Navalny in jail, with video cameras in tow
Editorial Board, Washington Post (April 1, 2021): Opinion: Why Alexei Navalny’s hunger strike should raise alarms worldwide
Anton Zverev and Andrew Osborn, Reuters (March 31, 2021): Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny launches hunger strike in bid for medical care
Claire Moses, New York Times (March 29, 2021): Navalny vs. Putin
Meduza (March 26, 2021): Opposition figure Lyubov Sobol wins petition to ease house arrest
Uliana Pavolva, Moscow Times (March 26, 2021): A decade after Pussy Riot’s ‘Punk Prayer,’ Maria Alyokhina still has plenty to protest about
Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs (May/June 2021 issue): Russia’s weak strongman: the perilous bargains that keep Putin in power
Uzbekistan Presidential Election: October 24, 2021
Uzbekistan is holding a presidential election on October 24, 2021. Elections in Uzbekistan are neither free nor fair, and political opposition is not able to operate freely in the country. More
Eurasianet (March 31, 2021): Uzbekistan tightens rules for media as president braces for re-election
Human Rights Watch (March 31, 2021): Uzbekistan: independent blogger attacked
RFE/RL (Mach 30, 2021): Uzbek activist reveals “threatening” video as he prepares to run for president
Past Eurasia Elections
Turkmenistan Parliamentary Elections: March 28, 2021
Turkmenistan held parliamentary elections on March 28, 2021. Turkmenistan is a highly repressive state that has never held free or fair elections, and lacks a genuine political opposition. More
AKIpress (April 1, 2021): U.S. Department of State criticizes human rights practices in Turkmenistan
Eurasianet’s Akhal-Teke (March 30, 2021): Turkmenistan: Rotten tomatoes review
RFE/RL (March 29, 2021): Turkmenistan’s authoritarian leader wins Senate seat with “100 percent” of the vote
Paul Bartlett, Nikkei Asia (March 27, 2021): Is Turkmenistan’s secretive presidency becoming a family affair?
Georgia Parliamentary Runoffs: November 21, 2020
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 31 and November 21, 2020 in a climate of political tension, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. Tensions have exploded into a full-blown political crisis. More
Nataliya Vasilyeva, The Telegraph (April 1, 2021): Russia warns against travel to Georgia after protesters pelt eggs at Russian TV anchor on his birthday
Euractiv/AFP (March 31, 2021): EU-mediated Georgia crisis talks fail on second try
JAMnews (March 30, 2021): EU mediator again in Tbilisi with proposals on how to solve Georgian political crisis
Ian Kelly and David J. Kramer, The Bulwark (March 29, 2021): How the U.S. should respond to the trouble in Georgia
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 15, 2020
Moldova a presidential election in November 2020. Pro-Europe center-right former Prime Minister Maia Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent. However, no party has a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies are outnumbered by pro-Russian parties), leading to political instability and the constant possibility of snap elections. More
Iulian Ernst, bne IntelliNews (April 1, 2021): Moldova enters state of emergency amid overlapping health and political crises
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (March 23, 2021): Suspicions rise over Moldovan Socialists’ pursuit of Sputnik V
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
Grigory Ioffe, Jamestown Foundation (March 31, 2021): Belarus’s ties with the west: the implacable downward spiral
Evija Djatkovica, Foreign Policy Research Institute (March 31, 2021): The Belarus crisis through the eyes of its Baltic and Nordic neighbors
bne IntelliNews (March 30, 2021): Belarus’ opposition abandons attempts at dialogue with Lukashenko, Tikhanovskaya branded a terrorist
DW (March 29, 2021): Belarus charges Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya with terrorism
Anna Schaverien, New York Times (March 27, 2021): Eurovision song contest disqualifies Belarus over political lyrics
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.
Category: This Week Tags: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan