News Digest
| Media Digest | Sep 13, 2020 |
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| Biweekly CAW Media Digest. | |
| Taking advantage of recently introduced legislation lowering the age threshold for presidential candidates to 30, Tajik provincial lawyer Faromouz Irgashev has publicly announced his intent to run in opposition to incumbent Rahmon Emomali. There are a high number of hurdles standing between Mr. Irgashev and even getting on the ballot (state security forces have already visited him for questioning, for example), but the public articulation of frustration with state corruption and police abuse of power in Tajikistan is refreshing. | |
| Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tieuberdi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently met to discuss a raft of growing and potential partnerships between the two neighboring countries. While the energy and transportation relationships between China and Kazakhstan frequently garner the most attention, the ministers also indicated the importance of establishing a Silk Road of Health and a Digital Silk Road. | |
| Julian D. Alford and Amin Tarzi write that the US interests in Afghanistan need to be safeguarded in a way that provides for a continuing presence in the area. Amidst great state competition in Central Asia and an uneasy peace with the Tabliban, the authors propose a small but entrenched military and diplomatic footprint in Afghanistan | |
| With Kyrgyz parliamentary elections on October 4th drawing ever closer, competition and jostling for votes between the 15 or so political parties is heating up. With the 2017 election's dubious legacy of voting irregularities and an unhappy populace, there is the feeling that this election is a potential inflection point for the democratic island of Central Asia. | |
| A former Kazakh state-media journalist talks with RFE/RL about the government's growing stranglehold on news coverage. Erbol Mandibek recently quit his cushy position and lifestyle in favor of publicly advocating for greater government transparency. | |
| In case you missed them before, we also highlight ongoing projects that are useful for studying or just keeping in touch with what is happening in Central Asia: | |
| Eurasianet runs a monthly collection of articles and data related to the economic impact of COVID-19 in the Caucasus and Central Asia. | |
| RFE/RL hosts the Majlis Podcast, a program that covers a wide range of trends and events related to Central Asia. This week, the presenters discuss how the popular protests in Belarus are being received in Central Asia. | |
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The Central Asian Watch (CAW) Project monitors economic, social, and political developments in Central Asia. The data generated by the Project is made freely available to the research community (view the data now under the "Data" tab). Please credit us when using our products and data.
