Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Transcription

1 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Appendix I. Heads of State Council Delegates should consider both their leader s personal interests and the interests of the country that they lead when writing position papers and deciding their stance on the issues presented in committee. Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China Arguably the most powerful man in the world due to the decline of the American presidency under Trump, Xi Jinping serves as both the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and the Chairman of the Central Military Committee in addition to President. After Mao Zedong, Xi is the second living leader of the Communist Party to have his own ideology enshrined in the Chinese Constitution making Xi the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao himself. Xi exerts almost total political control over the second most powerful country in the world which has seen almost unprecedented growth in the last three decades to become a true modern superpower and has begun attempting to assert its influence across the globe. All of this means that Xi has the most to gain from a strengthened and dominant SCO, but he also has the most to lose should he fail to deliver on his lofty promises to the Chinese people. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation A former KGB agent, Vladimir Putin turned to a career in politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He quickly rose from mayor of St. Petersburg in 1990 to become Prime Minister by the end of the decade when it became very apparent that the incompetent Boris Yeltsin would have to be replaced. During his almost two decades of president, with a brief four year hiatus where his handpicked surrogate Dmitry Medvedev held the presidency, Putin has consolidated his power as president and brutally suppressed dissent. Despite rampant corruption in his government and even accusations of ordering assassinations on many of his critics, Putin remains very popular with approval ratings consistently above 80% even in surveys conducted by western firms. Outside of Russia, Putin s regime has faced harsh criticism for its aggressive actions towards its neighbors most notably the 2008 invasion of the South Ossetia Region in georgia and the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This has caused Russia to face heavy pressure from the west in the form of economic sanctions, which along with falling oil prices have severely hurt its heavily resource export based economy. Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India

2 Ram Nath Kovind is the current President of India. Prior to becoming President, Kovind was the Governor of Bihar and was a Member of Parliament. He is the second Dalit to be elected as President of India. Prior to entering politics, Kovind was a lawyer for 16 years practicing in the Delhi high court and the Indian supreme court. Kovind, along with the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is a member of the Indian ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP has proclaimed its official ideology as Hindutva, an ideology that states that a government should be ruled by Hindu beliefs and ideologies. Heading one of the largest and most democratic members of SCO, Kovind has perhaps the greatest potential to upset the Russia-China power axis. Mamnoon Hussain, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain is the current President of Pakistan. He was the candidate from the Pakistani ruling party, the PML or the Pakistan Muslim League. He defeated the opposition candidate, Supreme Court Judge Wajihuddin Ahmad of the PTI, or Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf. The election was boycotted by the main opposition party, the PPP, or the Pakistan People s Party. Hussain graduated from the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi and was a businessman in Karachi before joining the PLM-N. He is known for his loyalty to the party. Leading the country with the second largest Muslim population in the world and a strong regional intelligence network, Hussain could leverage Pakistan s historic ties to the West to challenge the prevailing power structure of SCO. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serving as First Secretary of the Communist Party in the final days of the Kazakh SSR, Nursultan Nazarbayev was appointed as the first President of Kazakhstan during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Nazarbayev maintained control of the presidency during Kazakhstan s first presidential election in 1990, although his name was the only one on the ballot. During his three decades as the President of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev has maintained close ties with the Russian federation both economically and politically. While Nazarbayev has done well in his efforts to modernize and develop the Kazakh economy, his administration had been frequently accused of corruption and human rights violations. Sooronbay Jeenbekov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov s historic October 2017 election marked the first truly democratic and peaceful transfer of power in Kyrgyzstan's 30 year history. Serving as Prime Minister for former president, Almazbek Atambayev, Jeenbekov stepped down from the position to put himself on equal footing with the other candidates. Despite this hopeful change of pace, the political situation in Kyrgyzstan remains tense. Hundreds were killed during 2010 ethnic riots between the Kyrgyz majority and the large Uzbek minority in the south, which further strained relations with Uzbekistan. Furthermore, while Kyrgyzstan lacks the oil and gas reserves of its neighbors,

3 it s abundant lakes and rivers give it large reserves of fresh water which have become an increasingly vital resource in arid region. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan The current President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon was elected to chairman of parliament in Prior to become leader in Tajikistan, he was a cotton farm boss. His control over an armed faction in the southern portion of the country allowed for the intervention of Russian forces in the country to defeat Islamist and democratic rivals. He has a strict control and grip on the country and uses support from Russian, Chinese, and Western governments to act as a buffer against Islamist groups. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is the current President of Uzbekistan. Previously, he served as the nation s Prime Minister for thirteen years. He graduated from the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration with a PhD. He served as the governor of the Jizzakh Region for five years. He has negotiated close deals and agreements with South Korea, including one that details sending uranium ore to South Korea and bypassing the usual American middle men. He is known for his particularly harsh tactics. Human Rights Watch noted that, while the cotton industry was under his purview, there was mass exploitation of forced and child laborers. Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani is the current Afghani president. He rose to fame when he led a grand meeting of elders, Loya Jirga, after the fall of the Taliban in He went to school at the American University in Beirut and at Columbia University. He gave up his American citizenship to run for election in He has previous work experience in the World Bank, working on projects in East and South Asia. Prior to becoming president, he was the Finance Minister of Afghanistan and was rated the best Finance Minister of Asia in Emerging Markets in Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus Named Europe s Last Dictator by his opponents, Alexander Lukashenko, perhaps more than any other world leader, longs for a return of the Soviet Union. Lukashenko was the only Deputy to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus to vote against Belarusian independence from the Soviet Union, and during his presidency that began in 1994, Belarus has maintained much of its Soviet iconography and extremely close ties with the Russian Federation. Additionally, Lukashenko s regime has been characterized by the continuation of a state controlled economy, corrupt elections, and an authoritarian cult of personality reminiscent of the Soviet era. Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

4 Ali Hosseini Khamenei is the current Supreme Leader of Iran. His international power is well known, and Forbes has identified him as the 18 th most powerful person in the world in their 2016 list of the World s Most Powerful People. He is the most powerful political authority in the nation of Iran. He became President in 1981 following the assassination of his predecessor Mohammad-Ali Rajai. He eventually went on to become the Supreme Leader of Iran. He briefly served as Deputy of Defense and as supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in In January 2018, his regime violently suppressed anti-government protests sparking outrage from the west. Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga rose to prominence in the Mongolian Parliament on his thorough policy and political views. Battulga has maintained a populist message that Mongolia must modernized in a way that benefits all Mongolians not just a select few who control access to the nation s natural resources. Specifically, he has called for the exploitation of Mongolia's mineral wealth to secure the welfare of the Mongolian people, diversification of the Mongolian economy, and the expansion of Mongolia's transportation network to enhance it s relationships with its neighbors and drive the development of its economy. Straightforward and earnest, Battulga has also always has a fondness for wrestling and martial arts, and under his leadership, the Mongolian judo team became Olympic champions. Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is the current President of Armenia. He went to the Yerevan State University in 1971 and then served on the USSR army. He has served in a number of public service roles. He was deputy to the Supreme Council of Armenia, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Head of the Republic of Armenia State Security Department, Minister of National Security, and Prime Minister of Armenia among others. He is currently the also the Chairman of the Yerevan State University Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Chess Federation of Armenia. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been president of Azerbaijan since 2003, although the validity of his reelection in 2008 has been questioned by many in the west. While maintaining general popularity in Azerbaijan despite accusations of corruption, Aliyev has taken criticism for a number of his actions including statements on the conflict on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and his pardoning of Ramil Safarov which have both served to inflame tensions with Armenia. Additionally, Aliyev has been criticized for appointing his wife, first lady Mehriban Aliyeva, to become the first vice-president of Azerbaijan after the position was created by constitutional amendment in Azerbaijan has seen success in foreign relations by employing so called

5 caviar diplomacy where foreign officials are treated to luxurious amenities in order to charm them during state visits. Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni is one of only three elected monarchs in the world. While his title as king is largely ceremonial and he serves as a symbol of the cambodian people and their livelihood, he is still legally the head of state and thus is representing Cambodia at the Council of Heads of State until another arrangement can be made. He is working closely with Prime Minister Hun Sen to represent the interests of the Cambodian people. At age 67, Sihamoni has no wife or children and is purported to "love women as his sisters." He is known for being compassionate, intelligent, and thoughtful in stark contrast to Hun Sen who holds almost unchecked political power in Cambodia and is not shy about using violence and intimidation to silence dissent. Sihamoni will have to tread carefully, as Cambodia is the most geographically isolated member of SCO and surrounded by many U.S. allies in the heart of Southeast Asia. Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the second and current President of Nepal. She is the first woman to hold the office. She is a communist politician and has served as the vice chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal. She has been active in politics from a young age. She joined the Youth League of the Communist Party of Nepal when she was seventeen and played an active role in the parties efforts. She was awarded official membership in 1980 when she finished her schooling. She was married to a prominent Communist leader in Nepal who died in a car accident, though the causes remain a mystery. Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena is the current President of Sri Lanka. He used to work with his predecessor, Rajapaksa, before the unexpected announcement that he was going to run against Rajapaksa. He said that Sri Lanka was becoming too much like a dictatorship in that Rajapaksa s family controlled most of the nation. Sirisena is from the Sinhalese dominated North Central Province. At age 19 he was jailed for involvement in the first insurrection by the extreme-left People s Liberation Front. Currently, he appeals to the rural masses, Tamils, Muslims, and Christians by portraying himself as a clean living champion of the people. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the President of Turkey and has dominated Turkish government. Erdoğan has been expanding his powers in his capacity as President of Turkey and has a firm control over the people, making it illegal to even insult him. His treatment of vocal opponents has halted his bid to join the EU. In 2016, Erdoğan survived an attempted coup by factions

6 within the military. In 2017, a referendum in Turkey vastly expanded the Presidential powers. He has also said that men and women cannot be treated equally, often condemning feminists. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and his family hold almost total unchecked power over Turkmenistan. While initially steps to curb the cult of personality established by his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, Berdimuhamedow s regime has become one of the most closed and totalitarian win the world, and Turkmenistan ranked 178 of 180 countries surveyed in the Reporters Without Borders 2014 press freedom index beating only North Korea and Eritrea. While Turkmenistan has plentiful natural gas reserves, the country remains largely impoverished, and Turkmenistan is slow to adopt economic reforms and heavily reliant on exports to Russia. Abdel Fattah el-sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-sisi s long military career resulted in his appointment as the Egyptian Minister of Defense in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. As the Minister of Defense, Sisi was involved in the military coup that deposed President Mohamed Morsi and the establishment of an interim government. Since taking power in 2014, Sisi has expanded the power of the military which has earned him a reputation as a dictator and caused many to compare him to pre-arab Spring Egyptian leaders like Hosni Mubarak. He has also demonstrated a shrewdness for foreign policy. He has managed to maintain U.S. military aid while simultaneously quickly strengthening relations with Russia. In addition, he has taken a rather tempered stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and taken a relatively conciliatory tone on the issue, demonstrating that he has the desire and potential to broker agreements regarding tense diplomatic disputes. Bashar al-assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-assad s Regime has weathered one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts the 21 st century has seen so far. Leaving almost half a million dead and several million displaced as refugees and spilling over into neighboring Iraq, the Syrian Civil War is winding down after nine long years of conflict. The complicated and many sided conflict has left the Assad regime politically isolated with a nation in ruins, and while much of the fighting has ceased there are still large sections of Northern Syria that remain under de facto control of Syrian Democratic Forces. Assad s Forces have been implicated in numerous war crimes during the conflict, and Assad himself was included on a list of indictments handed to the International Criminal Court. The strengthened SCO provides a vital opportunity for Assad to find new allies to assist in the rebuilding of Syria. Abdul Hamid, President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

7 Abdul Hamid ran unopposed in the 2013 Bangladesh election following the death of his predecessor. He was speaker of parliament since 2009 and has an active knowledge of the political situation of Bangladesh. He is a close ally of the Awami League, the ruling party of the nation of which the Prime Minister belongs. He is said to have good relations with the opposition party, however, that didn t stop the opposing party from boycotting the 2014 Parliamentary elections. Prior to politics, he was a practicing lawyer from the University of Dhaka. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is one of the youngest monarchs in the world and is revered by the population of Bhutan. The royal family is so strongly loved, that when Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck s father curbed the power of the monarchy, citizens openly wept. Wangchuck was educated in India and Oxford and studied politics and international relations. Spiritual and mental well-being are the foremost priorities of the King for Bhutan and emphasizes gross national happiness. Bhutan has very strong and good relations with its neighbor India. Htin Kyaw, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Representing Myanmar at the Council of Heads of State, Htin Kyaw is the first person with no military background to hold the office of President of Myanmar since the 1962 coup d etat. He is a member of the National League for Democracy and a close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi who was a favorite for the office of president in the 2015 general election but constitutionally ineligible to hold the office. Aung San Suu Kyi is the de facto head of government and works closely with Kyaw as both State Counsellor and Foreign Minister. Kyaw and the NLD are fierce proponents of democracy which they fought for under decades of military rule in Myanmar. The current government as however drawn criticism for its failure to address the persecution of the Rohingya people in western Myanmar. This has begun to cast doubt on whether Kyaw s government is truly democratic and can shed its nationalistic tendencies. Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of the Democratic People s Republic of Korea A part of the Kim dynasty, Kim Jong Un is considered to be an idol in the eyes of the North Korean people. A fierce dictator, it has been shown that he is not afraid to resort to murder or other ruthless tactics to silence opposition. It is widely suspected the he is behind the murder of his uncle and his half - brother. His ruthless style of ruling is still seen today in the squalor that the north Korean people live in. Currently, he is actively building up North Korea s nuclear missile program, test firing multiple ICBMs.