zupagrzybowa
24.03.05, 18:40
Kyrgyzstan’s Akayev Comes to Kazakhstan
Created: 24.03.2005 19:39 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 20:12 MSK, 15 minutes ago
MosNews
Plane carrying Kyrgyzstan’s president Askar Akayev has landed in Kazakhstan.
Akayev left his office in Kyrgyzstan after opposition had taken control of
government buildings in the capital.
First the plane headed for Russia but then it was decided to fly to Kazakhstam
where Akayev’s family had earlier come on a presidential helicopter, Interfax
news agency reported.
From its part, Kazakh Foreign Ministry did not confirm this information.
Kazakhstan closed its border with Kyrgyzstan.
The top member of the opposition party Ar-Namys (Dignity), Emil Aliyev,
refuted the words of the party’s leader, Felix Kulov, on Akayev’s resignation.
“Kulov has called Akayev to resign saying it would be the most reasonable deed
in the latter’s life,” Aliyev said.
Another opposition leader, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, quoted by the agency said
Kyrgyzstan’s PM, Nikolai Tanayev, has resigned. Bakiyev added that the whole
government resigns but defense minister and National Security Service head
remain at their posts. Former deputy interior minister will head the ministry.
The opposition will appoint its representatives as deputy ministers.
Famous businessman supporting opposition, Daniyar Usenov, has addressed the
nation on the television asking to keep order. The crowd had burst into a huge
supermarket Beta-Stops in the center of Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek and
plundered it. Earlier, a group of young persons has burst into a government
garage and burnt several cars. Usenov demanded to keep all documents in the
building of the National Security Service also controlled by the opposition.
He called the police to cooperate with new authorities and help keep order.
About 200 people were injured in Thursday clashes in Bishkek.
The opposition protest actions started in the south of the country in the end
of last week. Before coming to Bishkek, opposition gained control over the
cities of Osh and Jalal Abad. Four persons were killed in Jalal Abad including
two women.
Alois Peterle, the special OSCE envoy, came to Bishkek on Thursday and called
to create a coalition government in the country. Speaking at a news
conference, he said “everything will depend on the opposition’s political
will.” He said he was glad no violence was used from any part.
www.mosnews.com/news/2005/03/24/akayevkazakhstan.shtml
Latest on political turmoil in Kyrgyzstan
No ethnic dimension
A well-respected physicist and former professor, Akayev had ruled Kyrgyzstan
for 15 years, coming to power before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
His current term in office was scheduled to expire later this year.
Viewed initially as a reformer, his popularity waned recently and opponents
accused him of becoming corrupt and authoritarian.
While past conflicts in Kyrgyzstan have broken along ethnic lines —
particularly between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks who make up some 14 percent of
the population — this unrest seems to lack an ethnic dimension.
It began in the southern part of the country, which typically was viewed as an
opposition stronghold. But it quickly swept the capital, Bishkek, in the
north, which was considered supportive of the president.
Kyrgyzstan is the third former Soviet republic to be jolted by political shock
waves recently. Last year, opposition politicians ultimately came to power in
both Georgia and in Ukraine after fraudulent elections first went against them.
The leaders, Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia and Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine,
garnered worldwide attention as they led their supporters to comeback victories.
But Kyrgyzstan's opposition lacks a clear leader like Saakashvili or
Yushchenko. So even if Akayev is gone for good, it's unclear who his
opponents will put forward to replace him.
A U.S. ally
Georgia and Ukraine are also both key pipeline transit routes and many
observers believe that is why the West, including the United States, was so
vocal in its criticism of the election fraud and in its support of the
opposition leaders, who were seen as friendly to the West.
Both countries provide outlets for Central Asian oil that go around Russia and
away from China, two nations viewed as potential competitors to the West,
particularly by the United States.
Kyrgyzstan is nevertheless an important partner for Washington. American
military forces operate in the country at Manas, a base about 20 miles from
the capital. Troop strength consists of about 800 members of the U.S. Air
Force who, together with approximately 100 Spanish airmen, fly supply and
airborne refueling missions connected to Operation Enduring Freedom in nearby
Afghanistan.
A spokesman at the base said Thursday that the political unrest has not
affected U.S. forces and that things are running as usual.
It's still too early to know whether the wave of protest sweeping over
Kyrgyzstan will end like similar movements in Georgia and Ukraine.
But the lack of a clear leader among the Kyrgyz opposition could force the
movement to clear one hurdle that the Georgian and Ukrainian opposition did
not face.
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www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/9cdaca0bcf3163a2d1d602fc9ca0e7d7.htm
en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5475467&startrow=1&date=2005-03-24&do_alert=0
www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/central_asia/kyrgyzstan/kyrgyzstan.htm