- -Well, the victory of CP in Moldova is just an exception to the general - -rule. How is going the new government in Moldova, btw? I think they - -doesn?t have room enough to maneuver.... - -There is a strange thing happening in Third World. While there is - -growing conscience about the failure of liberal policies, the left - -can?t offer a real alternative to them an goes on losing one after - -another elections, or, even worse, wins the elections and put - -forward right wing policies (like in Chile and Argentina, with - -Socialist Party and Fepaso).
I mean, who the fuck in Ukraine likes Leonid Kuchma? You can only run on an "I don't like Russia, so vote for me, even if I can't offer you jack shit other than occasional frissons of ethnic pride" platform for so long.) Though it does show to what extent nationalistic fervor can overcome common sense.
- -But he was re elected, wasn?t him?
Alexandre Fenelon
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I don't have a clue how the Moldovan government is doing, although it is currently involved in a scandal around the murder of an opposition figure (knowing how things work in the CIS, I wouldn't be surprised if the opposition did it themselves). I have recently begun subscribing to a Moldovan news server, but havn't been following things closely.
Kuchma was re-elected. Yeltsin was also re-elected, at a time when he had a single-digit approval rating. He also spent 30 times the legal limit for campaign spending just bribing journalists. Get the picture? :)
Speaking of Moldova, I don't know if anyone listened to that link to the MP3 files for Moldovan band Zdob Si Zdub, but I went to see them play last night. Amazing show. Even the passionate Russian nationalist I went with had he first up shouting "Moldova!" in the appropriate places. "We do not like Moldovans, but we like Zdob Si Zdub, because they rock!"
Hey Hakki, she's a fan of Jean Baudrillard with a degree in gender studies. Think there's a correlation? :) (Question meant tongue in cheek)
Chris Doss The Russia Journal