Field Reports
AZERBAIJANI REFERENDUM: SOVIET LEGACY CONTINUES
By Anar Kerimov (8/28/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)
On August 24, the people of Azerbaijan went to the polling stations to cast their vote on the constitutional amendments proposed by President Aliyev on June 22, 2002. Nearly 40 changes to 23 articles of the Constitution were put on the ballot for the choice of the voters. Although simple and logical at first sight, these proposed amendments caused much controversy in the political circles in Azerbaijan and further widened the gap between the opposition and the ruling party.
REGULATIONS ON STATE SECRECY INTRODUCED IN AZERBAIJAN
By Gulnara Ismailova (9/11/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)
On August 28, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliev passed a decree on "Rules on preventing the dissemination of state secrets in mass media". A law "About state secrecy" was adopted on November 15, 1996 and the Council of Europe suggested to Azerbaijan's authorities to make serious changes in it. The rules apply to mass media, founded and acting on the territory of Azerbaijan.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS INITIATED IN KYRGYZSTAN
By Anna Kirey (9/11/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Kyrgyzstan's President has recently given in to some of the demands by the opposition and has accepted to create a constitutional council to discuss constitutional amendments. Whether this move will help to allay political instability remains unclear, as unrest in the South of the country due to the killings in Aksy goes on, and at least one opposition member has refused to participate in the new council.
After tragic events in Aksy, picketings all over Kyrgyzstan and the establishment of the new political bloc "For impeachment of Akaev and people's reforms", Askar Akaev finally decided to accept the points of view of the opposition and come to a compromise taking into account all their demands.
KAZAKHSTAN SEEKS INTERNATIONAL AID TO PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER
By Marat Yermukanov, Kazakhstan (9/11/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)
It does not require much guesswork to see why the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev flew off to Johannesburg so hastily to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development. In view of the dying Aral Sea, the polluted Caspian and other looming disasters he could not afford to miss the opportunity to draw the attention of the world organizations to these dangers.
The alarming news that the Aral Sea was desiccating rapidly caused a general depression in early nineties.
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Article Svante E. Cornell, "The 'Afghanization of the North Caucasus: Causes and Implications of a Changing Conflict", in Stephen Blank, ed., Russia's Homegrown Insurgency: Jihad in the North Caucasus, Carlisle, PA: U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, 2012.