Opinion – Kazakhstan’s Dark Heritage
Russian troops on Kazak soil are unpleasant reminders of Kazakhstan’s dark heritage and bring unwelcome memories of Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago.
Chaos and Corruption in West Africa: Lessons from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is falling apart as its politicians persuade their people that elections alone deliver democratic reform, while strangling them of genuine voter alternatives.
Opinion – Is International Politics Damaging South Africa’s Health?
It may seem good politics to play to home electorates by pulling up the drawbridge, but the economic effects are already being felt in one of the financially most unequal countries in the world.
Opinion – ‘No Change’ After Kyrgyzstan’s 2021 Parliamentary Elections
Japarov has proven surprisingly resilient for a leader who attained his power almost by accident, and who does not have the political instincts of his contemporaries.
Opinion – Irish-American Diplomacy and the Catholic Orphanage Scandal
That Irish-American diplomacy contributed to an elaborate network of child adoption casts a dark shadow over what is otherwise hailed as a formative period in the relationship between the two nations.
Opinion – Uzbekistan at A Political Crossroads?
Regrettably, following this election day, as those before it, Uzbekistan remains one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
Opinion – Saving Myanmar?
With no sign of junta retrenchment, the big question remains as to how even a vestige of Myanmar’s democracy can be salvaged from the spoils of coup.
Opinion – Taiwan’s Almighty Squeeze
The resounding re-election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2020 reflects a steely determination on the part of the Taiwanese to resist the ‘almighty squeeze’ China is seeking to impose on them.
Opinion – Georgia’s Democracy Still in Peril
It seems unlikely that a new reconciliation spirit for coalition-building will emerge. Instead, Georgia’s politicians will engage in another dogfight over the corpse of a tentative democracy.
Afghanistan’s ‘Liberal’ History: Back to Year Zero?
An earlier, more liberal, Afghanistan possessed strong female figures and dynamic student societies in a civil society accustomed to the concept of protest.
