EAP Think Bridge - № 2018-05 - Georgia: The last “people’s” president
EAP Think Bridge - № 2018-05 - Georgia: The last “people’s” president

Author(s): Richard Giragosian, Sevinç Aliyeva, Arseni Sivitski, Lasha Tughushi, Sorin Sclearuc, Sergiy Gerasymchuk, Hennadiy Maksak
Subject(s): Regional Geography, Civil Society, Governance, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Present Times (2010 - today)
Published by: PIC Promotion of the Intercultural Cooperation
Keywords: pre-term elections in Armenia; Lukashenka; authoritarianism; Ukraine and Russia;
Summary/Abstract: The Eastern Partnership region is captured by electoral issues. Election campaigns completely eclipsed everything else on domestic and foreign policy agenda of the partner-states. In the very spotlight is the last direct election of the President of Georgia. Although this post effectively performs a merely ceremonial function in the parliamentary republic, serious battles flared up, not a single political force is ready to give up. For the first time in Georgia’s history a presidential vote has gone to a second round. Why it is important not only for Georgia, but also for the whole region, Lasha Tugushi elaborated. Neighboring Armenia activated complicated constitutional steps to dissolve the parliament and move toward a snap parliamentary election. In Belarus the entire country is being used to polish up Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s image and prepare him for the upcoming election. Brutal policies and primitive means used to enforce them are the evidence of close parliamentary election in Moldova. While in Ukraine, topics and slogans popular among voters prevail in the domestic narratives, language, faith and the fight against corruption being most noticeable. Meanwhile in Luxembourg, at a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the EU and the Eastern Partnership member-states the progress in achieving the 20 EaP Deliverables for 2020 was discussed. Hennadiy Maksak representing the EaP Civil Society Forum at the ministerial shares his conclusions and recommendations for the near future of the region. //// CONTENT: Armenia moves to special pre-term elections // Azerbaijan invests big in Turkey // Belarus: All about Lukashenka’s image // Georgia: Lugar Labs in Putin’s sights // Moldova: Between democracy and authoritarianism // Ukraine: The closer to elections, the farther from Moscow // Analytica: Georgia: The last “people’s” president // Ukraine: 20 EaP Deliverables progress report

• Details
• Contents