A cargo train is ready to cross an Iranian border in the Turkmen frontier village of Ak-Yayla, Dec. 3, 2014 (AP photo by Alexander Vershinin).

Earlier this month, the presidents of Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan inaugurated a railway that runs from western Kazakhstan to northern Iran. In an email interview, Erica Johnson, lecturer and director of masters studies in global studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill discussed infrastructure projects in Central Asia. WPR: What obstacles, both political and technological, had to be overcome to construct the railway between Iran and Turkmenistan? Erica Johnson: Because of the 2008 global financial crisis, Kazakhstan put the railway project on hold for 18 months. In addition to financing from the three participating countries, the Asian Development […]

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Sochi, Russia, Aug. 12, 2014 (Photo from the website of the Russian presidency).

In late November, a report by international audit firm Ernst and Young ranked Egypt’s private sector as the most corrupt in the world. In an email interview, Sahar Aziz, an associate professor at Texas A&M University School of Law who teaches Middle East law, national security and civil rights law, discussed corruption in Egypt’s private sector. Professor Aziz is the author of multiple articles on Egypt, including “Revolution without Reform? A Critique of Egypt’s Election Laws,” “Egypt’s Protracted Revolution” and “Bringing Down an Uprising: Egypt’s Stillborn Revolution.” WPR: What is the extent of private sector corruption in Egypt, and what […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall for a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the Kremlin, Moscow, Dec. 23, 2014 (AP photo by Maxim Shipenkov).

One year ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin was releasing political prisoners in the run-up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, even as protesters were massing in Kiev’s central square to demand the ouster of Ukraine’s then-President Viktor Yanukovych. The international spotlight was already on Russia and Ukraine, but no one could have predicted what was to come. The events of 2014 have shaken both countries: Yanukovych’s ouster in February; Putin’s annexation of Crimea in March; the bloody stalemate in eastern Ukraine; the tragic downing of a Malaysian commercial airliner by Russian-backed separatists; escalating Western sanctions against Russian businesses; Ukraine’s steady progress […]

An anti-government protester waves a Thai national flag during a rally in downtown Bangkok, Thailand, May 9, 2014 (AP photo by Vincent Thian).

Last month, seven police officers were arrested in Thailand on corruption charges,part of a wider anti-corruption campaign by the ruling junta. In an email interview, Douglas Olthof, a doctoral candidate at Simon Fraser University, discussed the ongoing corruption crackdown in Thailand. WPR: Who are the main targets of the junta’s corruption crackdown? Douglas Olthof: The targets of the current corruption crackdown in Thailand are by and large the members of the power network of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The period of democratization in Thailand that stretched from the early 1990s to 2006 witnessed an important shift in power […]

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2014 (AP photo by Mark Wilson).

In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal today, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi celebrated the accomplishments of his few, tumultuous months in office. A recent oil-sharing deal between the central government and Iraq’s Kurds, along with purges of corrupt officers from an army routed by militants of the so-called Islamic State (IS) last summer, have brought Abadi some good press recently. Meanwhile, the fight against IS goes on, with Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announcing yesterday that U.S.-led airstrikes had killed three senior IS leaders in Iraq in recent weeks. Abadi, who last […]

Kashmiri women stand in line to cast their votes during the fourth phase polling of the Jammu and Kashmir state elections on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 14, 2014 (AP photo by Dar Yasin).

The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir’s phased voting process for local elections continued over the weekend. In an email interview, Sten Widmalm, professor at Uppsala University in Sweden and author of “Kashmir in Comparative Perspective,” discussed politics in Kashmir. WPR: What are the major issues driving Jammu and Kashmir’s elections, and what is at stake in terms of local and national politics? Sten Widmalm: The election campaigns focus intensely on the failures of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) party, which currently has the most seats in the state assembly, and the Indian National Congress, which was in […]

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission Chairperson Maite Nkoana-Mashabane visits polling stations at schools in the North and South of Mauritius, Dec. 10, 2014 (South African government photo).

The center-right opposition coalition Alliance Lepep won a landslide victory in Mauritius’ general election earlier this month. In an email interview, Roukaya Kasenally, director of programs and knowledge management at the African Media Initiative, discussed Mauritian politics. WPR: What were the major issues driving the recent election campaign, and what explains the outcome? Roukaya Kasenally: This general election was very much monopolized by personality politics, where both coalitions emphasized the faults and failings of the key contending leaders—former Primer Minister Paul Berenger of the Militant Mauritian Movement (MMM), outgoing Labour Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and former President Anerood Jugnauth of […]

An F-35C Lightning II carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Nov. 5, 2014  (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Spc. Shauna C. Sowersby).

Canada may scale back its purchase of F-35 fighter jets, citing rising costs, according to a government report released last week. In an email interview, David Axe, editor of War is Boring, discusses the current status of the F-35 program. WPR: What is the current status of F-35 production, and how do current purchase orders compare to initial commitments? David Axe: Production is around 40 planes annually—and has been for a few years now. Most are for the U.S. military, but allied air forces have also begun to acquire a few copies. That’s a much, much lower production rate than […]

Firefighters and emergency workers examine the burned market pavilions in downtown Grozny, Russia, Dec. 4, 2014 (AP photo by Musa Sadulayev).

On Dec. 4, a major gun battle broke out in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, leaving 14 police and 11 militants dead. It was the worst violence in several years for the semi-autonomous Russian republic, which suffered through two bloody, failed wars for independence from 1994-1996 and from 1999-2009. The Chechen government has responded by demolishing the homes of the families of suspected militants, prompting condemnations by multiple human rights groups this week. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, some analysts suggested that the militants might have been affiliated with the so-called Islamic State (IS). As many as 800 […]

View of the Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers’ meeting in Doha, Qatar, Dec. 9, 2014 (AP photo by Osama Faisal).

In March 2011, Peninsula Shield, the joint emergency military force of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), crossed the causeway from Saudi Arabia into Bahrain to help the ruling al-Khalifa family crush a popular revolt. Two GCC members, Oman and Kuwait, refused to participate in what was effectively a Saudi-led intervention to prop up a fellow monarch. But earlier this week, at the annual GCC summit in Doha, Qatar, the bloc agreed to expand security cooperation—and this time, there were no abstentions. The Doha summit capped a year of reconciliation among the oil and gas-rich Arab Gulf kingdoms, mainly involving Qatar […]

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou bows as he tenders his resignation as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 3, 2014 (AP photo by Wally Santana).

Last month, Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party lost local elections, receiving only 40 percent of the vote. The defeat caused Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou to reshuffle his Cabinet and step down as KMT party chairman. In an email interview, Joel Atkinson, research fellow at the Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development at Yonsei University, South Korea, discussed Taiwan’s domestic politics. WPR: What factors led to the Kuomintang’s defeat in local elections, and what are the implications for the national-level political balance with the Democratic Progressive Party? Joel Atkinson: The results reflect widespread dissatisfaction with where Taiwan is going. The […]

Guyana President Donald Rabindranauth Ramotar addresses the general debate of the 69th session of the U.N. General Assembly, New York, Sept. 26, 2014 (U.N. photo by Amanda Voisard).

Last month, Guyana was plunged into political crisis after President Donald Romator suspended parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote. In an email interview, George Danns, professor of sociology at the University of North Georgia, discussed Guyana’s domestic politics. WPR: What is the background of the current political crisis in Guyana, and what impact is it having on the country’s economy and foreign relations? George Danns: The 2011 elections in Guyana gave the combined opposition parties the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) a one-seat majority in Parliament over the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which […]

Residents chant slogans supporting the creation of Basra region, in front of the Basra provincial headquarters, Basra, Iraq, Sept. 27, 2014 (AP photo by Nabil al-Jurani).

The Iraqi government agreed Tuesday to a long-term oil wealth sharing deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In an email interview, Kirk Sowell, a political risk analyst who is the publisher of the biweekly newsletter Inside Iraqi Politics, discussed regionalism in Iraq. WPR: What are the main non-Kurdish regional movements (i.e., potential autonomous regions) in Iraq, and what grievances are driving their regional aspirations? Kirk Sowell: There are three. The first, chronologically speaking, is what might be called the “southernist tendency,” which has existed in two variants. One focused on Basra province, and another on combining Basra with the […]

Namibians stand in line to cast their votes in the country’s presidential election, Rundu, Namibia, Nov. 28, 2014 (AP photo by Dirk Heinrich).

Namibia’s ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party won last month’s presidential election with over 86 percent of the vote. In an email interview, Elke Zuern, professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College, discussed Namibia’s domestic politics. WPR: What explains the continued popularity of the ruling SWAPO Party of Namibia? Elke Zuern: SWAPO has dominated elections since independence. It first won two-thirds of the vote in the country’s second free elections in 1994, and has maintained this majority with the power to unilaterally change the constitution ever since. In its strongest showing yet, the governing party’s candidate, Hage Geingob, […]

The Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sept. 9, 2013 (AP photo by Sebastian Scheiner).

Last month, with tensions flaring in Jerusalem over access to the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, Jordan recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv—the first time it had done so since it signed a peace treaty with Israel 20 years ago. As part of that treaty, the Jordanian monarchy is the custodian of the holy site. The ambassador was withdrawn to protest what Jordan called Israeli “violations” there, including closing the sacred compound housing the al-Aqsa mosque for a day and raiding the mosque to quell protesters. Continuing violence in Jerusalem, from hit-and-run attacks to stabbings and the killing of four […]

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as “Jokowi,” attends a graduation ceremony of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the Anglo Chinese School (International) in Singapore, Nov. 21, 2014 (AP photo by Wong Maye-E).

Last month, Indonesia announced that it will create a coast guard in an effort to reduce smuggling and piracy. In an email interview, Brian Harding, director for East and Southeast Asia at the Center for American Progress, discussed Indonesia’s naval capabilities. WPR: What is the current state of Indonesia’s navy and maritime security forces, in terms of vessels and operational preparedness? Brian Harding: Indonesia has set its sights on becoming an effective “green-water navy,” meaning it can operate in its coastal waters, but it has a long way to go. It currently boasts a total naval strength of 213 ships, […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Raul Khadzhimba, leader of Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia, at their meeting in Sochi, Russia, Nov. 24, 2014 (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Metzel, Presidential Press Service).

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Raul Khadzhimba, president of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, signed a pact in Sochi establishing closer ties between Russia and Abkhazia. The agreement gives Russia more control over the region, which Moscow recognizes as an independent country, while extending to Abkhazians a streamlined path to Russian citizenship. It also pledges to modernize Abkhazia’s military in close cooperation with the existing Russian military presence there, and to integrate Abkhazia into the Eurasian Economic Union, Putin’s nascent alternative to the European Union. In combination with Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine earlier this year, […]