July 8, 2021
A weekly review of key enews 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.
Voting in Moldova’s 2014 election. Moldova heads to the polls again on July 11. Photo credit: Flickr/OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
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
Stephen McGrath, AP (July 9, 2021): Moldova to hold vote pitting reformists against pro-Russians
Vladimir Socor, Jamestown Foundation (July 9, 2021): Moldova’s Parliamentary Elections May Produce a Sea Change (Part Two)
Madalin Necsutu, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (July 8, 2021): Pro-European Party Poised to Win Moldova’s Elections: President’s party leading ahead of a vote that could alter the country’s political course.
Henry St George, EU Reporter (July 8, 2021): #OperationMorkovka: Moscow finances pro-Russian parties in Moldova
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 proposition, including imprisoning Navalny. More
Meduza (July 9, 2021): ‘We’re all you’ve got’ Nikolai Rybakov explains his party’s problem with the Navalny movement and his belief that Yabloko is Russia’s only option for democrats
Moscow Times (July 7, 2021): Famous Faces Join the Race in Russia’s High-Stakes Parliamentary Elections
Anna Shilova, Moscow Times (July 6, 2021): New Russian Political Party Brings New Political Dress Code
Georgia Local Elections: October 2021 (due)
Georgia is due to hold local elections in October 2021, and they are particularly important because – as a result of a deal to resolve the political crisis following last year’s parliamentary elections – they could spark new parliamentary elections if the ruling Georgian Dream party wins less than 43 percent of the proportional vote. The political climate is tense, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. More
Amy Mackinnon, Foreign Policy (July 7, 2021): The Geopolitical Fault Line Behind the Attack on Tbilisi Pride
JAMnews (July 5, 2021): Opponents of Tbilisi Pride attack opposition, journalists
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
Bruce Pannier, RFE/RL (July 6, 2021): Paving The Way For The Uzbek President’s Reselection
Past Eurasia Elections
Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021
Armenia held snap parliamentary elections on June 20 in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Pre-election polls suggested a close contest Pashinyan acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and former president Robert Kocharyan; however, Pashinyan ended up winning by a significant margin.
Pashinyan became prime minister following the 2018 pro-democracy “Velvet Revolution.” However, he mostly maintained Armenia’s pro-Russia geopolitical stance, and that does not look likely to change in the near future.
JAMnews (July 10, 2021): Armenia’s Constitutional Court to assess validity of snap parliamentary elections
Thomas de Waal, World Politics Review (July 6, 2021): The Long Road to Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh
Armen Grigoryan, New Eastern Europe (July 5, 2021): The Armenian revolution: a mishandled opportunity
Asbarez (July 3, 2021): Four Political Forces Ask Constitutional Court to Annul Election Results
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
Reuters (July 9, 2021): Ukraine to sanction top Belarus security officials, Lukashenko’s son
Oliver Carroll, The Independent (July 9, 2021): Lithuania builds border wall as Belarus autocrat Lukashenko accused of trying to stoke EU migrant crisis
David M. Herszenhorn, Politico (July 7, 2021): Belarus expels Lithuanian diplomats as ties with EU crumble
Frida Ghitis, CNN (July 7, 2021): The real meaning of Belarus’ kidnapping of American citizen
Francis Shin, New Eastern Europe (July 6, 2021): The Belarusian crisis demands a decisive transatlantic response
RFE/RL (July 6, 2021): Belarusian Presidential Candidate Babaryka Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison
Eurasia Elections Coming Up in 2021 and 2022
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
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: July 8, 2021
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Last Updated: July 20, 2021 by 21votes
July 8, 2021
A weekly review of key enews 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
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
Stephen McGrath, AP (July 9, 2021): Moldova to hold vote pitting reformists against pro-Russians
Vladimir Socor, Jamestown Foundation (July 9, 2021): Moldova’s Parliamentary Elections May Produce a Sea Change (Part Two)
Madalin Necsutu, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (July 8, 2021): Pro-European Party Poised to Win Moldova’s Elections: President’s party leading ahead of a vote that could alter the country’s political course.
Henry St George, EU Reporter (July 8, 2021): #OperationMorkovka: Moscow finances pro-Russian parties in Moldova
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 proposition, including imprisoning Navalny. More
Meduza (July 9, 2021): ‘We’re all you’ve got’ Nikolai Rybakov explains his party’s problem with the Navalny movement and his belief that Yabloko is Russia’s only option for democrats
Moscow Times (July 7, 2021): Famous Faces Join the Race in Russia’s High-Stakes Parliamentary Elections
Anna Shilova, Moscow Times (July 6, 2021): New Russian Political Party Brings New Political Dress Code
Georgia Local Elections: October 2021 (due)
Georgia is due to hold local elections in October 2021, and they are particularly important because – as a result of a deal to resolve the political crisis following last year’s parliamentary elections – they could spark new parliamentary elections if the ruling Georgian Dream party wins less than 43 percent of the proportional vote. The political climate is tense, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. More
Amy Mackinnon, Foreign Policy (July 7, 2021): The Geopolitical Fault Line Behind the Attack on Tbilisi Pride
JAMnews (July 5, 2021): Opponents of Tbilisi Pride attack opposition, journalists
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
Bruce Pannier, RFE/RL (July 6, 2021): Paving The Way For The Uzbek President’s Reselection
Past Eurasia Elections
Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021
Armenia held snap parliamentary elections on June 20 in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Pre-election polls suggested a close contest Pashinyan acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and former president Robert Kocharyan; however, Pashinyan ended up winning by a significant margin.
Pashinyan became prime minister following the 2018 pro-democracy “Velvet Revolution.” However, he mostly maintained Armenia’s pro-Russia geopolitical stance, and that does not look likely to change in the near future.
JAMnews (July 10, 2021): Armenia’s Constitutional Court to assess validity of snap parliamentary elections
Thomas de Waal, World Politics Review (July 6, 2021): The Long Road to Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh
Armen Grigoryan, New Eastern Europe (July 5, 2021): The Armenian revolution: a mishandled opportunity
Asbarez (July 3, 2021): Four Political Forces Ask Constitutional Court to Annul Election Results
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
Reuters (July 9, 2021): Ukraine to sanction top Belarus security officials, Lukashenko’s son
Oliver Carroll, The Independent (July 9, 2021): Lithuania builds border wall as Belarus autocrat Lukashenko accused of trying to stoke EU migrant crisis
David M. Herszenhorn, Politico (July 7, 2021): Belarus expels Lithuanian diplomats as ties with EU crumble
Frida Ghitis, CNN (July 7, 2021): The real meaning of Belarus’ kidnapping of American citizen
Francis Shin, New Eastern Europe (July 6, 2021): The Belarusian crisis demands a decisive transatlantic response
RFE/RL (July 6, 2021): Belarusian Presidential Candidate Babaryka Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison
Eurasia Elections Coming Up in 2021 and 2022
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
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, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan