May 27, 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.

The city of Bukhara, formerly a Silk Road oasis and center of culture and currently in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan holds a presidential election in October which will likely be neither free nor fair. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Adam Harangozó (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.

Ani Mejlumyan, Eurasianet (May 27, 2021): Party lists for Armenian elections offer some surprises

Siranush Ghazanchyan, Public Radio of Armenia (May 26, 2021): 23 parties, 4 blocs bid for participation in snap parliamentary elections

Sara Khojoyan, Bloomberg (May 21, 2021): Armenia Premier Touts Azeri Border-Mapping Pact Amid Tensions

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

Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (May 25, 2021): Moldova Encourages Diaspora to Vote in Parliamentary Polls

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

Moscow Times (May 27, 2021): ‘Undesirable’ Open Russia Opposition Group Disbands Ahead of Elections

Meduza (May 26, 2021): Russian lawmakers adopt legislation banning people linked to ‘extremist organizations’ from running in elections

Reuters (May 26, 2021): Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny sues prison for censoring his newspapers

RFE/RL (May 25, 2021): Russian Lawmakers Take Step Toward Ban Of Navalny Supporters From All Elected Posts

Ann M. Simmons, Wall Street Journal (May 23, 2021): Russia’s Navalny Fights to Stay in Public Eye in Putin Standoff

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

Navbahor Imamova, Voice of America (May 26, 2021): Uzbekistan Reform Pace Questioned as Presidential Election Approaches

Catherine Putz, The Diplomat (May 20, 2021): Uzbek Authorities Deny Registration to New Political Party With Presidential Ambitions

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

RFE/RL (May 27, 2021): Turkmenistan Urged To Stop Threatening, Harassing Families Of Exiled Journalists

Kazakhstan Legislative Elections: January 10, 2021

Kazakhstan held 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

EU Reporter (May 25, 2021): Kazakhstan passes new election participation law

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

RFE/RL (May 26, 2021): Belarus Opposition Says It’s Preparing New Stage Of Protests Against Lukashenka

Simon Foy, The Telegraph (May 26, 2021): Stock exchange helped Belarus raise $1.25bn weeks before ‘rigged’ election

Reuters (May 25, 2021): Macron wants Belarus opposition to join G7 summit, but host UK says no such plan

Silvia Amaro, CNBC (May 25, 2021): The EU sanctions Belarus after ‘state terrorism’ — but experts aren’t convinced they’ll work

Eurasia Elections in 2021 and 2022

Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021

Moldova Snap Parliamentary Elections: July 11, 2021

Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021

Georgia Local Elections: October 2021 (due)

Kyrgyzstan Parliamentary Elections Take 2: Fall 2021 (expected)

Uzbekistan Presidential Election: October 24, 2021

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