後蘇聯時代中亞地區最大規模政壇人事變動
Uzbekistan named its new president and Kazakhstan and Armenia replaced their prime ministers yesterday in the biggest political shake-up in post-Soviet central Asia in years.
昨天，烏茲別克斯坦任命了新總統，哈薩克斯坦和亞美尼亞總理換人，這是後蘇聯時代中亞地區多年以來最大規模的政壇人事變動。
A joint session of the upper and lower houses of Uzbekistan’s parliament named Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who has been the country’s prime minister since 2003, as acting president following the death last week of Islam Karimov, who had ruled central Asia’s most populous nation since before its independence from the Soviet Union.
烏茲別克斯坦最高會議立法院和參議院聯席會議決定，任命自2003年以來擔任總理的沙夫卡特•米爾濟約耶夫（Shavkat Mirziyoyev，上圖）爲代總統。在烏茲別克斯坦從蘇聯獨立出來以前就開始擔任總統的伊斯蘭•卡里莫夫(Islam Karimov)已於上週去世。烏茲別克斯坦是中亞人口最多的國家。
Separately, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who also has ruled neighbouring Kazakhstan since Soviet times, initiated the first big reshuffle of his government in more than two years by dismissing prime minister removing Karim Massimov as prime minister and appointing him head of the security services.
在鄰國哈薩克斯坦，也是從蘇聯時期就開始掌權的努爾蘇丹•納扎爾巴耶夫(Nursultan Nazarbayev)啓動了兩年多來首次政府大改組，解除了卡里姆•馬西莫夫(Karim Massimov)總理職務，任命他爲國家安全委員會主席。
And in Armenia, prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan resigned in the face of widespread popular dissatisfaction with the government.
而在亞美尼亞，面對民衆對政府的普遍不滿，總理奧維克•阿布拉米揚(Hovik Abrahamyan)主動辭職。
This week we have seen a series of events that demonstrate that the regional politics is very much in flux, said Luca Anceschi, a lecturer in central Asian studies at the University of Glasgow.
本週我們見證了一系列事件，它們表明本地區政治局勢極爲動盪不定，格拉斯哥大學(University of Glasgow)中亞研究講師盧卡•安切斯基(Luca Anceschi)表示。
The leadership changes come as the region suffers its worst economic downturn in two decades.
此輪領導層變動正值該地區遭遇20年以來最嚴重的經濟蕭條。
The International Monetary Fund anticipates growth in the region will fall to just 1.2 per cent this year after averaging 8.3 per cent between 2000 and 2014, on the back of lower commodity prices and recession in Russia.
據國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)預測，受大宗商品價格低迷和俄羅斯經濟衰退影響，今年該地區經濟增長率將下滑至1.2%。在2000年至2014年期間，該地區經濟年均增長8.3%。
In Uzbekistan, the choice of Mr Mirziyoyev as acting president ahead of elections to be held later this year will be interpreted as a clear sign that he has been selected by the country’s elites as Karimov’s successor.
在烏茲別克斯坦，選擇由米爾濟約耶夫在今年晚些時候舉行大選前代行總統職務，將被視作他被該國統治精英選爲卡里莫夫繼任者的明確信號。
Under Uzbekistan’s constitution, in case if the president dies or becomes incapacitated, the presidency should pass to the chairman of the senate.
根據烏茲別克斯坦憲法，如果總統死亡或喪失履行職務能力，總統職務應由參議院主席代理。
But Nigmatulla Yuldashev, the little-known figure who holds that role, nominated Mr Mirziyoyev to take over in view of his many years of experience in government and the respect in which he is held by the population, according to a statement from the Uzbek senate said.
但是，根據烏茲別克斯坦參議院的聲明，名氣不大的參議院主席尼格馬圖拉•尤爾達舍夫(Nigmatulla Yuldashev)提議，鑑於米爾濟約耶夫在政府有多年工作經驗以及飽受國民愛戴，由其代理總統職務。
Mr Mirziyoyev was widely considered the favourite to become the next Uzbek president and was master of ceremonies at Karimov’s funeral last Saturday.
米爾濟約耶夫被普遍認爲是人氣最高的下任總統人選，他上週六主持了卡里莫夫的葬禮。
This week, he has been the most visible member of the country’s elite, meeting Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, as well as a senior Boeing executive.
本週他成爲該國出鏡率最高的高層政治人物：與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾•普京(Vladimir Putin)會面，並接見了波音(Boeing)的一名高管。
The reshuffle of the Kazakh government comes as the country central Asia’s largest economy, and a significant oil producer, is also preparing for its first ever transition of power.
在哈薩克斯坦政府改組之際，這個中亞最大經濟體及重要石油生產國也正準備迎接史上首次權力交替。
Mr Nazarbayev, 76, has announced no plans for a successor, but analysts believe the country’s elites are already manoeuvring for position.
現年76歲的納扎爾巴耶夫宣佈尚無關於繼任者人選的計劃，但是分析人士認爲該國統治精英已經在鉤心鬥角地爭權。
Livia Paggi, a specialist on the region at risk consultancy GPW, said the main beneficiary of Mr Massimov’s dismissal appeared to be Dariga Nazarbayeva, the president’s daughter and deputy prime minister.
風險諮詢機構GPW的中亞地區專家利維婭•帕吉(Livia Paggi)稱，馬西莫夫卸任總理的主要受益人似乎是總統之女、副總理達麗加•納扎爾巴耶夫(Dariga Nazarbayeva)。
The removal of Massimov seems to suggest that Dariga is still in the game as a potential successor. she said.
她表示：馬西莫夫被免似乎表明，達麗加仍然是潛在的繼任者人選。
Mr Massimov’s removal comes after the Kazakh government was rattled by a rare wave of protest earlier this year.
今年早些時候哈薩克斯坦爆發罕見的抗議浪潮，引起政府當局不安。
The government has also warned of a growing terrorist threat following a shootout between gunmen and police in the western city of Aktobe.
此外，在西部城市阿克託別(Aktobe)爆發槍手與警方的槍戰之後，政府警告恐怖主義威脅上升。
The appointment of Mr Massimov, who is seen as a competent manager, to head the Kazakh security services might also be an attempt to insure against unrest during a future presidential transition, analysts said.
分析人士稱，任命能幹的馬西莫夫領導國家安全委員會，可能也是爲了防止未來總統換屆期間發生動亂。
The reshuffle of the government should be seen not only in terms of today’s politics but also in terms of tomorrow’s power transfer, Mr Anceschi said. Whatever you think of the Uzbek transition, it was orderly.
對於政府改組，不僅要從時下的政治局勢來看待，還要從日後權力交接的角度來解讀，安切斯基稱，不管你怎麼看待烏茲別克斯坦的權力過渡，它都是有序進行的。
I think that this sense of order and cohesion within the elite might have appealed to someone at the top of Kazakhstani politics.
我認爲，這種精英階層內部有序而團結的感覺或許對哈薩克斯坦政界最高層的某個人有吸引力。
In Armenia, Mr Abrahamyan’s resignation was widely anticipated ahead of parliamentary elections next year.
在亞美尼亞，人們此前就普遍預計阿布拉米揚會在明年議會選舉前辭職。
There were mass protests in the capital Yerevan this summer amid an economic slowdown and tensions over the government’s handling of a flare-up in fighting with Azerbaijan over the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh earlier this year.
今年夏天，首都埃裏溫(Yerevan)爆發了大規模民衆抗議，原因一方面是經濟放緩，另一方面是今年早些時候亞美尼亞與阿塞拜疆因納戈爾諾-卡拉巴赫地區（Nagorno-Karabakh，簡稱納卡地區）爆發衝突，亞美尼亞當局對事件的處理引發局勢緊張。納卡地區是亞美尼亞在阿塞拜疆境內一塊多山的飛地。
