Global Voices Online

Azerbaijan’s Presidential Election speculates on the possible aftermath of the 15 October vote in the country. The blog says that although previous elections have been accompanied by unrest and violence, a boycott by Azerbaijan's main opposition parties make that unlikely this time around. Letters in Bottles agrees, and says that such a situation might well be welcomed by the West.

Recent Links also in Central Asia & Caucasus

Musafirbek says that the president of Uzbekistan officially thanked the cotton-growers for gathering the harvest of this strategic product for Uzbekistan. However, those who sweat away, collecting this cotton (including children) were not mentioned in the president’s address.

Alexander Visotzky writes about the opening of a monument in Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, where the authorities uncovered a 15-foot high bronze statue of incumbent president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Dafydd reports that the EU has lifted the arms embargo on Uzbekistan. Reasons given are abolishment of the death penalty and release of political prisoners.