The Caucasus

Second, during Armenia's elections in February 2003, the ruling call(a)er committed massive vote fraud to hold onto major power while still struggling to resolve leadership and sparing deficits created by the Armenian diaspora. Finally, in Georgia, reforms initiated under Eduard Shevardnadze waste non been sufficient to resolve problems such as occupation, banditry, a waffle economy, terrorism, and a large refugee population.

In the case of Georgia, 2003 ushered in demands for the removal of Shevardnadze. Allegations of rigged elections led to public protests by as some as 40,000 impoverished Georgians tired of endemic corruption, unpaid wages, and insufficiency of basic utilities (Matthews & Brown, 2003). Shevardnadze saw his country in late 2003 as on the brink of civil war as enemy leader Mikhail Saakashvili called upon supporters to declare civil disobedience to the Shevardnadze regime. The problem represents tensions that have led to a showdown between Shevardnadze and Saakashvili, a pro-U.S. origin reformer who has vowed to jail Shevardnadze and mount a countrywide crackdown on corruption (Matthews & Brown, 2003).

In January 2004, Saakashvili won the presidential election in Georgia with 96 percent of the vote - replacing Shevardnadze afterward Shevardnadze had resigned (The people expect?, 2004). During the last 12 years of Shevardnadze's tower Georgia has come keep mum to collapse. Wars over the near terminus of the provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have creat

plot much of the discussion presented above has emphasized the role to be played by the West in bringing astir(predicate) stability in this region, it is also important to understand that Russia is a power of significance in the region. Georgian leadership has until flat ignored Russia's legitimate interests in the Caucasus (Agency sees rapprochement?, 2004).

While Russia enjoys close military and political relations with Armenia, efforts must be undertaken to mitigate its relationship with Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Part of the strong in Armenia as tacit by analysts is that Armenia remains closely tied to Russia. Former electric chair Levon Ter-Petrosyan has joined forces with the radical opposition to carry out a "velvet revolution" in Armenia that targets President Kocheryan and calls for the establishing of a elective government and a resolution of the conflict in Nagorny-Karabakh (Russia pushes Armenia?, 2004). It is difficult to discuss Armenia's present situation without reference to the conflict in Nagorny-Karabakh. Armenia's policies on this issue have tended to focus on the groundwork of a Greater Armenia but there is the possibility that a Nagorny-Karabakh Republic might be an acceptable solution to all parties involved (Regional security?, 2004). In this instance, Armenia and its neighbor Azerbaijan find themselves at odds.

Matthews, O. & Brown, F. (2003). Descent into chaos.

(2004). Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, April 5, 1-2.

Azeri leader asks world community to recommend Armenia to pull out

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