Mental Wanderlust...: FSU/CA articles of interest quick update

An unexpected entry, but the stories keep on coming. So, onwards...

The FT has an article by Marietta Chudakova on the the problem of social apathy in Russia and how it is undermining democracy as well as the notion of civil society itself.
Gazeta.kg published an interview last week with Bermet Akaeva, who is a controversial figure in her own right even before she expresses any opinions (as the debate on the Birge! e-list showed last week). Unsurprisingly it drew a variety of comments, many of which were far from complimentary. Really should translate it (though I draw the line at translating all the comments as well) - watch this space.
Gazeta.kg also reports on the downside of voting in the presidential elections for many Kyrgyzstani citizens in Russia: they were promptly detained by Russia's migration police for registration and/or other documentary irregularities, despite a prior agreement negotiated by Roza Otunbaeva that the migration police would not seek to arrest Kyrgyzstani citizens on July 10.

From KyrgyzInfo

Political shennanigins continue on a more bureaucratic level in Kyrgyzstan, with the party Erkindik collecting signatures in support of dissolving the current Zhogorku Kenesh in light of it being formed from deputies elected in the highly controversial February-March elections that were the catalyst to the March overthrow of Akaev's regime.
Despite the recent Presidential elections being declared valid and satisfactory overall by the Central Elections Committee and international observers, the coalition "For Democracy and Civil Society" is apparently requesting that the results in nine districts be declared void becasue of voting violations.
Feliks Kulov has announced that there will be a law introduced on the status of the Opposition in the republic. It is hoped that the law will clarify who exactly are opposition politicians, rather than using the term to indicate anyone who comes into conflict with the government, and afford them official (and legal) status with all attendant rights and responsibilities.
There are reports (via the Russian Argumenty i Fakty) that Askar Akaev is going to head up one of Russia's Academy of Sciences scientific institutes, which represents a return to the ex-president's original profession as a physicist.

Links

Mental Wanderlust...