Jean-Christophe Peuch

Also by Jean-Christophe Peuch

• April 20, 2004

  Georgia: New Parliament To Meet Amid Vote Controversy, New Rift With Adjara

  Adjar leader Aslan Abashidze As the new Georgian parliament prepares to hold its inaugural session later this week, the controversy surrounding the autonomous republic of Adjaria has taken a new twist. Yesterday, the commanding officer of a Georgian Army unit garrisoned in the Adjar capital said he would remain loyal to the Adjar leadership.

• April 15, 2004

  Georgia: Tensions Increase Around Adjaria Ahead Of Election Rerun

  Adjar leader Aslan Abashidze The situation in Adjaria is once again heating up ahead of the 18 April legislative runoff in two districts of the autonomous Georgian republic. Georgian officials sent to Adjaria to supervise preparations for the vote claimed yesterday they had been run out of the region. The unrest comes as Tbilisi is stepping up demands to disband armed militias operating in the republic.

• April 14, 2004

  Armenia: Opposition Considers Next Move As Government Threatens Clampdown On Rallies

  Police square up to opposition demonstrators Armenian law enforcement agencies have closed the offices of one opposition party and are pledging to enforce a ban on unauthorized rallies after forcibly breaking up antigovernment street protests early yesterday. At the same time, the ruling coalition is calling for dialogue with its rivals and authorities released all opposition lawmakers detained during the unrest. Several opposition activists are under arrest, however.

• April 13, 2004

  Police Break Up Opposition Demonstration In Armenia

  Armenian police today broke up an opposition rally in the center of Yerevan, beating demonstrators and making several arrests. The protesters were demanding the departure of President Robert Kocharian, whom they accuse of usurping power through election fraud.

• April 09, 2004

  Georgia: Leader Walks Thin Line Between Patriotism And Nationalism

  Mikheil Saakashvili Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has decreed the year 2004 will be the "year of Zviad Gamsakhurdia," in reference to his late nationalist predecessor. Starting today, the memory of Georgia's first post-Soviet leader will be honored throughout the country. Why does Saakashvili seem so eager to claim a lineage between himself and Gamsakhurdia? Is it just part of an overall attempt at strengthening Georgian statehood, or could it possibly signal a return to state-sponsored nationalism?

• April 07, 2004

  Georgia: Officials Blame Nation's 'Enemies' For Tbilisi Bomb Blast

  Prague, 7 April 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Georgian law-enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into yesterday's bomb attack that purportedly targeted the commander of the Russian armed forces in the Transcaucasus.

• April 06, 2004

  Armenia: Political Standoff Deepens As Opposition Snubs Government Offers

  President Kocharian is likely to face increased pressure Confrontation between the Armenian government and the opposition deepened yesterday as the country's two main opposition political groups said they would proceed with plans to step up pressure on President Robert Kocharian in a bid to secure his departure. The announcement came as several opposition activists were being detained in connection with an investigation into recent anti-Kocharian rallies across the country.

• April 02, 2004

  Georgia: Saakashvili Steps Up Denunciations Of National 'Enemies'

  Abashidze: still causing problems Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili yesterday issued what is being considered a veiled warning to the leadership of the autonomous republic of Adjaria. In a speech before Georgian servicemen, he suggested he might resort to force to bring Adjaria back into the fold of the central government.

• April 01, 2004

  Armenia: Government Threatens Opposition With Criminal Prosecution

  Stepan Demirchan A long-standing dispute between Armenia's ruling coalition and rivals of President Robert Kocharian reached new heights yesterday as judicial authorities said they had launched criminal proceedings against the country's main antigovernment alliance. Earlier this week, opposition leaders said they would carry on with plans to stage nationwide street protests in hopes of forcing Kocharian's departure.

• March 31, 2004

  Georgia: Adjar Leader Defiant As Final Poll Results Confirm Victory For Ruling Coalition

  Georgian election officials today released the final results of the 28 March parliamentary elections. For the first time in years, the leader of the autonomous province of Adjaria will have no meaningful support in the national parliament. Adjar leader Aslan Abashidze is now threatening to organize a referendum in his region and send supporters to the Georgian capital to demand a recount.

• March 30, 2004

  Georgia: President Issues Warning To Adjaria As Controversy Looms Over Regional Vote

  Adjar leader Aslan Abashidze Galvanized by his party's expected decisive victory in 28 March legislative polls, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili yesterday issued a warning to leaders of the autonomous republic of Adjaria, demanding they disarm popular militias at once. Meanwhile, the Adjar opposition is calling for early elections in the province to put an end to Aslan Abashidze's rule.

• March 29, 2004

  Georgia: Ruling Party Appears Decisive Winner Of Polls While Opposition Alleges Fraud

  Georgian election authorities today released preliminary results of yesterday's parliamentary elections, which show that President Mikheil Saakashvili's National Movement-Democrats alliance is set to grab the vast majority of parliamentary seats attributed to deputies elected from party lists. International election observers say the vote marked continued progress toward democratic reforms, but mainstream opposition groups claim the vote was stolen.

• March 26, 2004

  Georgia: Vote Set To Begin Amid Queries On President's Tactics, Tensions In Adjaria

  President Saakashvili: Shocking voters? Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili looks set to consolidate his power base when the Southern Caucasus nation renews its parliament in a 29 March legislative re-run. Experts believe Saakashvili's National Movement will win a large majority of seats in parliament. But despite its popularity, the ruling party has been accused of resorting to questionable election tactics. The campaign has also been largely overshadowed by the situation in the autonomous region of Adjaria. RFE/RL correspondent Jean-Christophe Peuch reports.

• March 24, 2004

  Georgia: Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, Son of Late President, Sees 'Great Victories' Ahead

  Georgia is gearing up for a partial rerun of the disputed 2 November parliamentary elections that heralded the demise of President Eduard Shevardnadze's government. A total of 19 parties and coalitions will compete for seats in the legislature. RFE/RL correspondent Jean-Christophe Peuch takes a closer look at one of these groups, led by the son of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgia's first post-Soviet president.

• March 18, 2004

  Georgia: President Announces End Of Partial Blockade On Adjaria

  Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said today he will order that the partial blockade imposed on the autonomous Black Sea province of Adjaria be lifted. RFE/RL reports on the latest developments.

• March 17, 2004

  Georgia: Parliament Speaker Tries To Defuse Crisis With Adjaria

  As the dispute over sovereignty continues between Tbilisi and the autonomous republic of Adjaria, a high-ranking Georgian official is in Batumi today to help defuse the crisis. Another Georgian envoy arrived in Moscow in a bid to appease Russia's concerns about possible instability in the region, with which it has close links.

• March 16, 2004

  Georgia: Tbilisi Imposes Economic Sanctions On Adjaria, Threatens To Prosecute Officials

  Simmering tension between Georgia and its autonomous republic of Ajara boiled over yesterday when Tbilisi temporarily imposed economic sanctions against the unruly province. The decision comes as Georgia is gearing up for general elections later this month.

• March 11, 2004

  Georgia: PACE Fears A Lack Of Counterbalance To Ruling Coalition

  Later this month, Georgia will hold a re-run of the disputed legislative polls that precipitated the downfall of President Eduard Shevardnadze last November. While praising efforts made by the country's new leaders to improve electoral transparency, the Council of Europe fears the upcoming polls may end up with Georgia lacking a parliamentary opposition to counterbalance the power of the ruling party.

• March 09, 2004

  South Caucasus: Region Growing As Hub For International Drug Trafficking

  Central Asia is known as the preferred route for Afghan-produced narcotics destined for West European markets. But drug-enforcement officials say the South Caucasus -- strategically located between Asia and Europe -- is also a major transit point for narcotics. Corruption, instability, and separatist conflicts are all cited as being behind the region's rise in smuggling.

• March 03, 2004

  Azerbaijan: Authorities In Baku Target Shi'a Mosque, Say It Is Being Illegally Occupied

  Authorities in Azerbaijan face growing criticism at home and abroad for clamping down on political and religious freedoms. The latest target appears to be a Shi'a Muslim congregation whose imam was recently arrested for alleged anti-government activities.

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