May 6, 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 street in central Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. Armenia holds snap elections next month. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Preacher lad (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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.
Emil Avdaliani, Eurasia Review (May 6, 2021): Armenia After The Parliamentary Elections – Analysis
RFE/RL (May 3, 2021): In Step Toward Snap Polls, Armenian Lawmakers Reject Pashinian’s Candidacy As New PM
Moldova Snap Parliamentary Elections: July 11, 2021
Moldova is holding snap parliamentary elections on July 11, which pro-Europe center-right president Maia Sandu had been trying to call for months. Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent, in the November 2020 presidential election However, no party currently has a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies are outnumbered by pro-Russian parties). The resulting political instability was reaching crisis levels. More
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (May 1, 2021): Moldova’s Fake News Fightback
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (April 30, 2021): Failed Attack on Court Leaves Moldova’s Socialists Wounded
Iulian Ernst, bne Intellinews (April 29, 2021): Moldovan president dissolves parliament, calls snap election
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. Consequently, the Kremlin has launched a brutal crackdown on the opposition, including imprisoning Navalny. More
Meduza (May 6, 2021): Russian lawmakers want to ban Navalny’s supporters from running for parliament. But their bill is completely ineffective (for now).
Alexey Kovalev, Foreign Policy (May 6, 2021): With Putin’s Latest Crackdown, Russia Is Going Dark
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
Rustam Muhamedov, The Diplomat (May 4, 2021): Explaining the Evolution of Turkmenistan’s Assembly Bodies
Georgia Parliamentary Elections: October 31 and 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
Givi Gigitashvili, New Eastern Europe (May 5, 2021): Information operations and the 2020 Georgian parliamentary elections
JAM News (May 5, 2021): Amnesty bill for political prisoners postponed for two weeks
Civil.ge (May 2, 2021): Venice Commission, ODIHR Highlight Shortcomings in Electoral Amendments Bill
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
AFP (May 6, 2021): Belarus opposition leader calls on US to isolate Lukashenko
Andrey Kozenko, BBC (May 6, 2021): Why wearing the wrong socks is risky in Belarus
Rayna Breuer, DW (May 3, 2021): Belarus regime turns on artists and journalists
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: May 6, 2021
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Last Updated: May 13, 2021 by 21votes
May 6, 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.
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.
Emil Avdaliani, Eurasia Review (May 6, 2021): Armenia After The Parliamentary Elections – Analysis
RFE/RL (May 3, 2021): In Step Toward Snap Polls, Armenian Lawmakers Reject Pashinian’s Candidacy As New PM
Moldova Snap Parliamentary Elections: July 11, 2021
Moldova is holding snap parliamentary elections on July 11, which pro-Europe center-right president Maia Sandu had been trying to call for months. Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent, in the November 2020 presidential election However, no party currently has a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies are outnumbered by pro-Russian parties). The resulting political instability was reaching crisis levels. More
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (May 1, 2021): Moldova’s Fake News Fightback
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (April 30, 2021): Failed Attack on Court Leaves Moldova’s Socialists Wounded
Iulian Ernst, bne Intellinews (April 29, 2021): Moldovan president dissolves parliament, calls snap election
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. Consequently, the Kremlin has launched a brutal crackdown on the opposition, including imprisoning Navalny. More
Meduza (May 6, 2021): Russian lawmakers want to ban Navalny’s supporters from running for parliament. But their bill is completely ineffective (for now).
Alexey Kovalev, Foreign Policy (May 6, 2021): With Putin’s Latest Crackdown, Russia Is Going Dark
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
Rustam Muhamedov, The Diplomat (May 4, 2021): Explaining the Evolution of Turkmenistan’s Assembly Bodies
Georgia Parliamentary Elections: October 31 and 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
Givi Gigitashvili, New Eastern Europe (May 5, 2021): Information operations and the 2020 Georgian parliamentary elections
JAM News (May 5, 2021): Amnesty bill for political prisoners postponed for two weeks
Civil.ge (May 2, 2021): Venice Commission, ODIHR Highlight Shortcomings in Electoral Amendments Bill
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
AFP (May 6, 2021): Belarus opposition leader calls on US to isolate Lukashenko
Andrey Kozenko, BBC (May 6, 2021): Why wearing the wrong socks is risky in Belarus
Rayna Breuer, DW (May 3, 2021): Belarus regime turns on artists and journalists
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