By Stephen Blank (3/24/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: The State Department’s annual human rights report continues to rank Uzbekistan as being among the worst offenders in this regard. Increasingly frustrated with Uzbekistan, Congress has legislated language in the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal year (FY) 2004 stating that the funds appropriated by this act will only be made available to the Uzbek government if the Secretary of State determines and reports that it is making progress on the human rights commitments it made to Washington in the Declaration of Strategic Partnership and Cooperation of 2002. Failure to obtain such certification means that the State Department will terminate all the aid programs it administers, Foreign Military Financing, International Military Education and Training Act funds etc.

By Jaba Devdariani (3/24/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: The authoritarian leader of the Autonomous republic of Ajaria, Aslan Abashidze, opposed the November 2003 ‘Revolution of Roses’ which brought Mikheil Saakashvili to power. Abashidze stepped up repression against his opponents in the autonomous region, and created obstacles to January 4 presidential elections. He was seen as courting Russia for support against Tbilisi following his several visits to Moscow, including consultations with the secessionist governments of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

By Christopher Boucek (3/10/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Prior to the elections, close to 2,500 reform candidates, including many of currently serving in the Majlis that garnered the greatest number of votes four years ago, were disqualified. In all, over 80 currently serving MPs were barred from participating. First Deputy Speaker Mohammad Reza Khatami—the president’s brother and leader of the Participation Front—as well as Behzad Nabavi, Mohsen Mirdamadi, and Mohsen Armin, among many others, were disqualified by the hard-line Guardian Council.