РОССИЯ « ROSSIJA »
Officially: Российская Федерация « Rossiĭskaja Federacija ».
English: Russia.
Seat of government: Москва « Moskva ».
Status: Not democratic.
Structure: An autocracy controlled by the current president.
Head of government: Владимир Путин « Vladimir Putin », president; assisted by Дмитрий Медведев « Dmitriĭ Medvedev », prime minister.
Governing party: Единая Россия « Edinaja Rossija »; unofficially, the силовики « siloviki ».
Other parliamentary parties: Коммунистическая Партия Российской Федерации « Kommunisitičeskaja Partija Rossiĭskoĭ Federacii », led by Геннадий Зюганов « Gennadiĭ Zjuganov »; Либерально-Демократическая Партия « Liberalĵno-Demokratičeskaja Partija », led by Владимир Жириновский « Vladimir Žirinovskiĭ »; Справедливая Россия: Родина/Пенсионеры/Жизнь « Spravedlivaja Rossija: Rodina/Pensionery/Žiznĵ », a Путин « Putin »ist front group.
Non-parliamentary opposition: Яблоко « Jabloko », led by Сергей Митрохин « Sergeĭ Mitroxin »; Другая Россия « Drugaja Rossija », led by Гарри Каспаров « Garri Kasparov »; Партия Прогресса « Partija Progressa », led by Алексей Навальный « Alekseĭ Navalĵnyĭ ».
Assessment: Never liberal and only briefly democratic. The will of the majority may sometimes prevail, but electoral democracy is no longer practiced faithfully. Путин « Putin » was prime minister in an elected government when president Борис Ельцин « Boris Elĵcin » (1991-9) resigned, and became president constitutionally. As prime minister, he had helped oversee a war to reconquer Noxçiyçö, partially based on dubious evidence of a terrorist attack in Москва « Moskva ». This act helped him achieve a lopsided popular win in a 2000 presidential election. Since then, he has acted autocratically and concentrated power to himself personally, regardless of which office he has held; this includes consolidating control over regional government and the media, and persecuting opposition supporters, among them the олигархи « oligarxi », whose wealth has corrupt origins but who were tolerated until they began using their wealth in opposition. He has also shown imperialist tendencies, especially towards Noxçiyçö and Україна « Ukrana », but these seem to have majoritarian backing. Every party in the current and previous parliaments is grossly illiberal, three of them Путин « Putin »ist; another front party, Правое Дело « Pravoe Delo », has been created from some of the former opposition. After serving two full terms as president (2000-8), Путин « Putin » was constitutionally ineligible to run again; he was officially a candidate for parliament in 2008, and continued to rule as premier after installing then-premier Дмитрий Медведев « Dmitriĭ Medvedev » as president. Later that year, Россия « Rossija » invaded საქართველო « Sak‛art‛velo » and took on overt protection of Хуссар Ирыстон « Xussar Iryston » and Аҧсны « Ap‛sny », after clashes in Хуссар Ирыстон « Xussar Iryston ». A 2011 parliamentary election saw Единая Россия « Edinaja Rossija » reduced to a bare majority, even with significant ballot fraud, as Путин « Putin » prepared to resume the presidency in 2012. In 2014, after the ouster of a pro-Россия « Rossija » government in Україна « Ukrana », Россия « Rossija » took control of and formally annexed Крым « Krym », and intervened to secure the independence (or possible Российский « Rossiĭskiĭ » control) of much of the Донбасс « Donbass ». A 2016 parliamentary election officially produced no significant change in party composition.
FH: 6-5, not free; 7-7, not free (for occupied Noxçiyçö). Econ: 4.48 (107), hybrid.
Updated: 2016 October 7.
 

ХУССАР ИРЫСТОН « XUSSAR IRYSTON »
Officially: Республикæ Хуссар Ирыстон « Respublikæ Xussar Iryston »; Республика Южная Осетия « Respublika Južnaja Osetija ».
English: South Ossetia.
Seat of government: Чъреба « Čǝreba ».
Status: Not democratic.
Structure: Likely under the control of Россия « Rossija »; constitutionally controlled by a directly-elected president and an elected legislature.
Heads of government: Тыбылты Леонид « Tybylty Leonid », president, and probably Владимир Путин « Vladimir Putin », president of Россия « Rossija ».
Parliamentary parties: Иугонд Ирыстон « Iugond Iryston »; Адæмы Иудзинад « Adæmy Iudzinad »; Адæмон Парти « Adæmon Parti »; Ныхас « Nyxas ».
Assessment: Most of the territory of the former Хуссар Ирыстоны Автономон Бӕстӕ « Xussar Irystony Avtonomon Bæstæ » seceded from საქართველო « Sak‛art‛velo » in 1991, but without recognition. Official results of a 1992 referendum for independence showed 90% in favor; the results were rejected internationally largely because the international community rejects any separatism. Following exchanges with საქართველო « Sak‛art‛velo » and an attempt by საქართველო « Sak‛art‛velo » to reclaim the territory, Россия « Rossija » invaded in 2008 and is now occupying the territory; its security services were reported to be in effective control even before the war. Official results of a 2009 election returned a large majority, and apparently every parliamentary seat, behind longtime ruler Кокойты Эдуард « Kokoĭty Èduard » (2001-11). In 2011, an election for a new president, apparently won by opposition figure Джиоты Аллæ « Džioty Allæ » over Россия « Rossija »’s preferred candidate Бибылты Анатоли « Bibylty Anatoli », was annulled; following protests, Кокойты « Kokoĭty » resigned, replaced by prime minister Вадим Бровцев « Vadim Brovcev », and a new election was scheduled for 2012 with Джиоты « Džioty » excluded. Тыбылты « Tybylty » was the official winner in a runoff. In 2014 parliamentary elections, Иугонд Ирыстон « Iugond Iryston », led by Бибылты « Bibylty », officially won a majority of seats. A 2015 agreement to integrate security and customs forces with Россия « Rossija » would probably mean the effective end of independence.
FH: 7-6, not free.
Updated: 2015 March 18.
 

O.T. FORD