September 2, 2021
A weekly review 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 market in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia. Photo credit: Flickr/Sergei F (CC BY 2.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021
Russia holds 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. Candidates who have worked with Navalny or supported him have been banned from the upcoming election. Only one genuine opposition party – the liberal Yabloko – currently is able to field candidates. More
Robert Coalson, RFE/RL (September 3, 2021): Crying Foul: Leaked Audio Suggests United Russia Readying Election Fraud
Craig Timberg, Robyn Dixon, and Reed Albergotti, Washington Post (September 2, 2021): Russia’s Internet censor demands Google, Apple remove an opposition app from their stores
Tom Balmforth, Reuters (September 1, 2021): In Russia’s Arctic, Navalny activist’s election bid is crushed
Vladimir Kara-Murza, Washington Post (August 30, 2021): Opinion: The Kremlin’s old methods of rigging elections aren’t working like they used to
Anton Troianovski, New York Times (August 30, 2021): Exile or Jail: The Grim Choice Facing Russian Opposition Leaders: Experts say the current exodus of journalists and dissidents is the biggest wave of political emigration in the country’s post-Soviet history.
Georgia Local Elections: October 2, 2021
Georgia has scheduled local elections for October 2, 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. However, the ruling Georgian Dream scrapped the agreement in July, raising concerns about Georgia’s political stability. Georgian Dream has re-iterated that it will not hold snap elections in 2022 even if it loses the local elections. The political climate is tense, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout.
Most recently, an uptick in violence against the LGBT community and journalists, perpetrated by far-right and pro-Kremlin forces, has fueled the wider debate about where Georgia is going, both culturally and geopolitically. More
Agenda.ge (September 2, 2021): President Zurabishvili says ‘unclear’ why gov’t refused to take EU loan
Dato Parulava, OC Media (September 2, 2021): Analysis | Brokered by Charles Michel, broken by Georgian Dream
Civil.ge (September 2, 2021): GD Thwarts Euro-Atlantic Path, Opposition Tells EU, NATO
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 abl
e to operate freely in the country. Although some had hoped that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev would face a serious challenger this year, that looks increasingly unlikely as would-be challengers are either being denied ballot access or dropping out. More
RFE/RL (September 2, 2021): Not To Be Left Out, Uzbek Lawmakers Pitch ‘Head Of Nation’ Title For Mirziyoev
Kyrgyzstan Parliamentary Elections Take 2: November 28, 2021
Kyrgyzstan will hold parliamentary elections on November 28, 2021 – a re-run of the parliamentary elections that took place in October 2020. Those elections and allegations of fraud led to political turmoil, followed by a snap presidential election in January 2021 and a constitutional referendum (alongside local elections) in April 2021. The new constitution, which passed, grants the president vastly expanded powers. Its critics have dubbed it the “Khanstitution.” The political climate was tense heading into the October 2020 parliamentary elections. It subsequently exploded following said elections. More
Catherine Putz, The Diplomat (September 2, 2021): Kyrgyzstan Wiretapped Activists, Lawyers, MPs: The Interior Ministry justified the wiretaps as part of investigations into the October 2020 unrest
Reporters Without Borders (August 30, 2021): Kyrgyzstan: Recently-adopted ‘false information’ law threatens free speech
Past Eurasia Elections
Moldova Snap Parliamentary Elections: July 11, 2021
Moldova held snap parliamentary elections on July 11, which pro-Europe center-right president Maia Sandu had been trying to call for months because in Moldova’s parliamentary system, a legislative majority is necessary to execute on any policy agenda. Prior to these elections, party had a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies were outnumbered by pro-Russian parties), leading to political instability. Sandu’s allies ended up winning in a landslide.
Sandu herself trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent, in the November 2020 presidential election, after losing narrowly to him in 2016. More
Cristian Gherasim, EU Reporter (September 3, 2021): Moldovans see Russia as its biggest threat and EU integration as a national objective
Transitions Online (September 1, 2021): Transnistrian election fraud ‘a slap in the face of Moldovan democracy’
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 and political defiance continue. More
Yauhenia Stepus, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (September 2, 2021): Torture Continues in Belarus: Even small acts of defiance can have serious consequences.
Oliver Carroll, The Independent (August 31, 2021): Belarusian prosecutors order harsh 12-year sentence for opposition leader Kolesnikova
Eurasia Elections Coming Up in 2021 and 2022
Russia Parliamentary Elections: September 17-19, 2021
Georgia Local Elections: October 2, 2021
Kyrgyzstan Parliamentary Elections Take 2: November 28, 2021
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.
Related
Eurasia This Week: September 2, 2021
Leave a Comment
Last Updated: September 11, 2021 by 21votes
September 2, 2021
A weekly review 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
Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021
Russia holds 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. Candidates who have worked with Navalny or supported him have been banned from the upcoming election. Only one genuine opposition party – the liberal Yabloko – currently is able to field candidates. More
Robert Coalson, RFE/RL (September 3, 2021): Crying Foul: Leaked Audio Suggests United Russia Readying Election Fraud
Craig Timberg, Robyn Dixon, and Reed Albergotti, Washington Post (September 2, 2021): Russia’s Internet censor demands Google, Apple remove an opposition app from their stores
Tom Balmforth, Reuters (September 1, 2021): In Russia’s Arctic, Navalny activist’s election bid is crushed
Vladimir Kara-Murza, Washington Post (August 30, 2021): Opinion: The Kremlin’s old methods of rigging elections aren’t working like they used to
Anton Troianovski, New York Times (August 30, 2021): Exile or Jail: The Grim Choice Facing Russian Opposition Leaders: Experts say the current exodus of journalists and dissidents is the biggest wave of political emigration in the country’s post-Soviet history.
Georgia Local Elections: October 2, 2021
Georgia has scheduled local elections for October 2, 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. However, the ruling Georgian Dream scrapped the agreement in July, raising concerns about Georgia’s political stability. Georgian Dream has re-iterated that it will not hold snap elections in 2022 even if it loses the local elections. The political climate is tense, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout.
Most recently, an uptick in violence against the LGBT community and journalists, perpetrated by far-right and pro-Kremlin forces, has fueled the wider debate about where Georgia is going, both culturally and geopolitically. More
Agenda.ge (September 2, 2021): President Zurabishvili says ‘unclear’ why gov’t refused to take EU loan
Dato Parulava, OC Media (September 2, 2021): Analysis | Brokered by Charles Michel, broken by Georgian Dream
Civil.ge (September 2, 2021): GD Thwarts Euro-Atlantic Path, Opposition Tells EU, NATO
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 abl
e to operate freely in the country. Although some had hoped that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev would face a serious challenger this year, that looks increasingly unlikely as would-be challengers are either being denied ballot access or dropping out. More
RFE/RL (September 2, 2021): Not To Be Left Out, Uzbek Lawmakers Pitch ‘Head Of Nation’ Title For Mirziyoev
Kyrgyzstan Parliamentary Elections Take 2: November 28, 2021
Kyrgyzstan will hold parliamentary elections on November 28, 2021 – a re-run of the parliamentary elections that took place in October 2020. Those elections and allegations of fraud led to political turmoil, followed by a snap presidential election in January 2021 and a constitutional referendum (alongside local elections) in April 2021. The new constitution, which passed, grants the president vastly expanded powers. Its critics have dubbed it the “Khanstitution.” The political climate was tense heading into the October 2020 parliamentary elections. It subsequently exploded following said elections. More
Catherine Putz, The Diplomat (September 2, 2021): Kyrgyzstan Wiretapped Activists, Lawyers, MPs: The Interior Ministry justified the wiretaps as part of investigations into the October 2020 unrest
Reporters Without Borders (August 30, 2021): Kyrgyzstan: Recently-adopted ‘false information’ law threatens free speech
Past Eurasia Elections
Moldova Snap Parliamentary Elections: July 11, 2021
Moldova held snap parliamentary elections on July 11, which pro-Europe center-right president Maia Sandu had been trying to call for months because in Moldova’s parliamentary system, a legislative majority is necessary to execute on any policy agenda. Prior to these elections, party had a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies were outnumbered by pro-Russian parties), leading to political instability. Sandu’s allies ended up winning in a landslide.
Sandu herself trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent, in the November 2020 presidential election, after losing narrowly to him in 2016. More
Cristian Gherasim, EU Reporter (September 3, 2021): Moldovans see Russia as its biggest threat and EU integration as a national objective
Transitions Online (September 1, 2021): Transnistrian election fraud ‘a slap in the face of Moldovan democracy’
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 and political defiance continue. More
Yauhenia Stepus, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (September 2, 2021): Torture Continues in Belarus: Even small acts of defiance can have serious consequences.
Oliver Carroll, The Independent (August 31, 2021): Belarusian prosecutors order harsh 12-year sentence for opposition leader Kolesnikova
Eurasia Elections Coming Up in 2021 and 2022
Russia Parliamentary Elections: September 17-19, 2021
Georgia Local Elections: October 2, 2021
Kyrgyzstan Parliamentary Elections Take 2: November 28, 2021
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.
Share this:
Related
Category: This Week Tags: Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan