When President Viktor Yushchenko took power in Ukraine's Orange Revolution a year ago he forecast the revolt would encourage democracy across the former Soviet Union.

Twelve months later, his prediction rings a bit hollow. The year that began with Mr Yushchenko's triumph has ended with the success of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the authoritarian president of Kazakhstan, who earlier this month won his third presidential election with 91 per cent of the vote. His victory was welcomed by the region's other authoritarian leaders, notably Russia's Vladimir Putin. The forces of anti-democracy are striking back.