You are probably asking yourself, what is Trans-Dniester? Well, Trans-Dniester is a breakaway region of Moldova, heavily aligned with Russia. They are expected to elect Igor Smirnov, who has held the position since 1990 when the area broke free from Moldova.
Of course, no one will recognize the vote, but Russia called a recent referendum by Trans-Dniesterers (is that right?) to join Russia "free and fair." Russian soldiers apparently helped out in a 1992 civil war and have been present ever since, violating an agreement from 1999 to leave the area by 2002.
For more about Trans-Dniester check out this BBC article. Some say the region is a haven for criminals. One Moldovan analyst says "there is smuggling of alcohol, tobacco, human beings, drugs and it's a centre for illegal arms trafficking."
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Trans-Dniester to Hold Presidential Elections
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1 comment:
He could probably make vodka since his name is not just a collection of letters and he probably has a Russian soul.
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