 RFE/RL Headlines 9/29/2009 4:20:20 PM A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| News  German Coalition-Building Will Be Test Of Wills With German Chancellor Angela Merkel back in the saddle after her win in September 27 parliamentary elections, the coming days will be devoted to forging a coalition between her centrist Christian Democrat (CDU-CSU) bloc and the right-of-center Free Democrats (FDP). More  Student Protests Against Ahmadinejad Continue Hundreds of students have staged an antigovernment demonstration at Tehran's Sharif University, the second such protest in two days. More  'Reports Of My Death...' In the science of thermodynamics there is a concept called "the bifurcation point." It is defined as the point at which an unstable system has an equal chance of developing into pure chaos or of settling into a higher and more coherent level of order. The Moldovan political system -- although it has nothing to do with the laws of physics -- is essentially at such a point right now. More  Armenian Parties Join Forces Against Draft Agreements With Turkey The widespread public outcry in Yerevan triggered by the publication one month ago of two draft protocols intended to pave the way for the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey shows no sign of abating. More Thirteen of the 41 people currently on trial in Tbilisi on charges of seeking to overthrow Georgia's leadership have concluded plea bargains with the prosecution. The 13 include one of the alleged ringleaders, Gia Gvaladze, on whose testimony the charges against a second purported ringleader, Koba Kobaladze, are based. Five of the 13 are charged with knowing about the planned insurgency in advance but failing to alert the relevant authorities; seven face charges of insubordination. More  Georgian President Advocates Direct Mayoral Elections In his September 24 address to the UN General Assembly, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili delivered an implicit warning to toe the line to two members of the parliamentary faction of his United National Movement who have queried the expediency of direct elections for the post of Tbilisi mayor. Saakashvili affirmed that the Georgian leadership is committed "to the direct election of all mayors in a few months' time." Local municipal council elections and elections for the mayor of Tbilisi are provisionally scheduled for May 30, 2010. More  Sharing The Blame A long-awaited report on the causes of the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 will split the blame between the two sides, EU officials say. Although it commissioned the report in December 2008, the EU is now keen to distance itself and move on with the Geneva talks between Georgia, Russia, and the two breakaway Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. More  A Path To Warmer Ties Turkey and Armenia have announced plans for a deal aimed at normalizing relations. The agreement still requires approval by the countries' parliaments, but it is seen as a step toward ending hostilities stemming from the World War I mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. More  OSCE Official Says Dialogue Best Way To Spread Democracy Michael Haltzel, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, heads the U.S. delegation at the OSCE's "Human Dimension" workshop taking place in Warsaw on September 28-29. In an interview with RFE/RL correspondent Ahto Lobjakas, he says engagement remains the best way to tackle difficult regimes. He also says he hopes to see gradual progress in those post-Soviet nations where human rights abuses remain regular and democratic standards have yet to take root. More  Banned Islamist Group Attracts More Kyrgyz Women A year ago, a police crackdown on Hizb ut-Tahrir in southern Kyrgyzstan shone a spotlight on that banned Islamist group's few female members. Now a new report by the International Crisis Group indicates that Kyrgyz women -- disenfranchised by their low social status and limited opportunities -- are turning to Hizb ut-Tahrir in unprecedented numbers. More  Have Russia’s Dirty Generals Turned On Shamanov? For years senior Russian commanders have used their political and military muscle to make money and defy the law. However, in the past the government has tended to play down or even suppress such stories. This time, the SKP was allowed to release secret audio tapes of Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov allegedly ordering troops to block a criminal probe. On the surface, this is encouraging news, suggesting that the government is at last beginning to crack down on the abuse of office within the high command. The reality is less optimistic, though. More |
