By Aya Telekova (11/17/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Most political parties in Kyrgyzstan identify themselves either as in opposition or as centrists. In the early independence the main opposition parties had been set up by southerners. Absamat Masaliev, Adakhan Madumarov, Omurbek Tekebaev and other southern opponents are affiliated to the different opposition political parties.

By Frederick Starr (11/17/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Private television in Uzbekistan dates to 1990, when Firdaus Abdukhalikov of Samarkand, a journalist by training, established STV or Samarkand Television. Since the USSR still existed, Abdukhalikov took his proposal directly to Moscow, where it was three times rejected. A chance meeting in May, 1990, at the Samarkand airport with future Uzbek President Islam Karimov (a Samarkand native) led to the issuance of the first license to a private TV channel, STV.

By Jaba Devdariani (11/17/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: On November 23, 2003 popular protests, spearheaded by the key opposition parties – New National Movement and United Democrats – forced the ageing President Eduard Shevardnadze into resignation. Following this “Rose Revolution”, Georgian public voted the triad opposition leaders – Mikheil Saakashvili, Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze – overwhelmingly into the office. Analysts were suggesting initially, that the degree of hopes that Georgians pinned on the new government was unrealistically high.