Kirgisistan
Parliament may dissolve in autumn (07.08.2007)
(Quelle: IWPR) There is increasing talk of the Kyrgyz parliament being dissolved this autumn when political activity steps up after the summer break, say NBCentralAsia experts. On August 3, former prime minister and opposition leader Felix Kulov said the government was planning to dissolve parliament after the summer recess. The current parliament was elected in spring 2005 and should serve until 2010.
Kyrgyzstan bolsters border protection (06.07.2007)
(Quelle: IWPR) A new border management strategy has been adopted in Kyrgyzstan which NBCentralAsia experts say does not exactly suit the country’s mountainous terrain but will improve controls through tighter cooperation between all of the ministries and agencies involved. On July 3, Zamir Moldoshev, head of Kyrgyzstan’s border service, told the AKIpress news agency that his service is to be reformed through the European Union’s Border Management Programme for Central Asia, BOMCA, which is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.
Polls close in Kyrgyz by-elections (29.04.2007)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) Polling stations in Kyrgyz parliamentary by-elections closed at 1600 Prague time. Reports say voter turn out in the two constituencies was over 55 percent, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. A representative of the Kyrgyzstan Central Election Commission (CEC) told RFE/RL that preliminary results are expected to be announced on the morning of April 30.
OSCE under fire for police support project (27.04.2007)
(Quelle: IWPR) The OSCE has come under criticism for agreeing a support programme for the Kyrgyz police, which used force to disperse crowds of protesters on April 19. On April 23, the Kyrgyz interior ministry issued a statement saying the OSCE is to invest around one million euros a year in a project to reform law-enforcement in Kyrgyzstan. The OSCE has provided assistance to the Kyrgyz police since August 2003, allocating funds for technical equipment, training in modern crowd control techniques, and how to engage with the public. … Emil Juraev, deputy director of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, says the training provided so far had helped the police avoid more casualties on both sides.
Kyrgyz rally ends in disarray (21.04.2007)
(Quelle: IWPR) Hopes that the latest stand-off between the Kyrgyz government and its opponents would be resolved with a compromise deal suffered a blow this week when police dispersed an opposition rally as some of the protesters tried to storm the government building. During the rally on Bishkek’s central Ala-Too square, which began on April 11, the opposition – the United Front for a Worthy Future for Kyrgyzstan and the Movement for Reforms – had appeared in confident mood, insisting that President Kurmanbek Bakiev must step down and allow an early presidential election. Opposition supporters announced plans to gather the 300,000 signatures needed to hold a nationwide referendum on impeaching Bakiev.
Opposition protests continue (19.04.2007)
(Quelle: New York Times) About 8,000 demonstrators gathered near President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s office in Bishkek, the capital, for an eighth day of protests against him, and added a call for new parliamentary elections to their list of demands for sweeping government reforms. … Protest leaders are calling for larger demonstrations over the weekend.
Kyrgyzstan set for new protests (11.04.2007)
(Quelle: BBC) Up to 10,000 people have joined opposition protests in the main square of Bishkek, capital of the ex-Soviet Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan. Several thousand of them plan to stay overnight in the tent city they have built in the city, which saw an uprising in March 2005. The opposition say their protest will grow until President Kurmanbek Bakiyev resigns or calls a new election. The government has called for dialogue, but the opposition will not compromise.
No give and take in Kyrgyz stand-off (03.04.2007)
(Quelle: IWPR) On the face of it, Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiev is bending over backwards to satisfy the opposition and defuse political tensions. Yet after appointing an opponent as prime minister, pledging constitutional reform and meeting other demands set out by opposition groups, he has still not succeeded in dissuading them from mass protests later this month. At one level, Kyrgyz politics resembles a game of chess between the two main protagonists – the president and Felix Kulov, the leader of the United Front for a Worthy Future for Kyrgyzstan. The complication is that there are not two but three major players in the game, and the rules are constantly changing.
Pressed, Kyrgyz president names his critic as premier (30.03.2007)
(Quelle: New York Times) Under heavy pressure from an increasingly energized political opposition, the president of Kyrgyzstan appointed one of his critics as prime minister on Thursday, providing a highly visible platform for an opposition figure in a region uniformly dominated by one-party politics. The appointment potentially defuses a gathering political crisis that has threatened to topple the embattled Kyrgyz president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
Political discontent simmers in the Ferghana Valley (27.02.2007)
(Quelle: EurasiaNet) Political discontent is brewing throughout the Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek portions of the Ferghana Valley, as regional elites in all three states are unhappy with the behavior of central officials. Discontent is perhaps most acute in Southern Kyrgyzstan. Members of the region’s political elite are publicly complaining that the long-running political confrontation in Bishkek, pitting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev against members of the Kyrgyz parliament, is threatening stability in the regions.
Kyrgyz parliament approves Isabekov as prime minister (29.01.2007)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) The Kyrgyz parliament today approved acting Agriculture Minister Azim Isabekov as prime minister by a vote of 57 to 4. The approval of Isabekov -- President Kurmanbek Bakiev's latest nominee for the post of prime minister -- follows weeks of political dispute in Kyrgyzstan.
Yet another constitution for Kyrgyzstan (16.01.2007)
(Quelle: IWPR) Two months after a compromise constitution ended the tense standoff between Kyrgyzstan’s government and its opponents, parliament has passed an amended version handing back significant powers to President Kurmanbek Bakiev. On January 15, the president signed off on the latest version of the constitution, passed by legislators on December 30. The document reverses several changes made in the November constitution, so that the president regains his authority to name a prime minister and also to make appointments to the powerful post of regional governor.
Parliamentary reelections looming as another new constitution adopted in Kyrgyzstan (05.01.2007)
(Quelle: Eurasia Daily Monitor) On December 30 the Kyrgyz parliament adopted yet another constitution. The new constitution comes only few weeks after the previous version was endorsed on November 8, 2006. The November 2006 constitution was widely celebrated by the Kyrgyz opposition, as it was achieved after nearly week-long protests in central Bishkek. While the November constitution was regarded as the most liberal one among the Central Asian states and secured stronger powers for the parliament, its most recent version returned key powers to the president.
Kyrgyzstan Cabinet resigns office (19.12.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has accepted the resignation of his Cabinet, amid a continuing stand-off between him and parliament. Prime Minister Felix Kulov, who tendered the resignation, said it should allow parliamentary elections due in 2010 to be held sooner. The move follows continued wrangling between the government and legislature, despite a deal on a new constitution.
Kyrgyz lawmakers demand publication of new constitution (04.12.2006)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) Kyrgyz lawmakers have demanded that official media publish the text of the new constitution, which was approved in the midst of a political crisis in early November. The revised law, which reduces the powers of the president, was adopted amid widespread street protests. It is unclear why the text has not yet been published. It is common in Kyrgyzstan for new legislation to be published within a few days of being adopted. … Some parliamentarians and nongovernmental organizations are seeking clarification as to how the president's prerogatives have changed.
Kinship and Patronage networks emerge as a potent poltical force (21.11.2006)
(Quelle: Eurasianet) Informal patronage networks and kinship ties played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the recent constitutional crisis in Kyrgyzstan, enabling an opposition coalition to secure enhanced checks on executive authority. A sustained protest in Bishkek’s Ala-Too Square, lasting from November 2-9, acted as the catalyst for constitutional change in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyz PM airs concerns over constitution process (10.11.2006)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) Kyrgyz Prime Minister Feliks Kulov today expressed concern at the way the country's new constitution was adopted this week. He said lawmakers set a potentially 'dangerous' precedent that could appear in the 'Guinness Book of World Records.' A statement posted on the government's website says Kulov made those remarks at a meeting with the head of the OSCE center in Bishkek, Markus Mueller. Addressing reporters after the talks, Mueller also admitted that the new law was adopted in great haste. 'Of course, the way this constitution was [created] in such a short period of time is very special in the world, I don't know of another example,' he said. 'But it has to be understood in the [context of] crisis management. And it has to be seen in a positive sense, that it is the new base to continue the work which was started.'
Kyrgyzstan on the edge – new ICG briefing (09.11.2006)
(Quelle: International Crisis Group (ICG)) With Kyrgyzstan on the brink of what could yet become a civil war that would destabilise the fragile Central Asia region, the European Union and others must take urgent diplomatic initiatives. “Kyrgyzstan on the Edge”, a special conflict alert policy briefing from the International Crisis Group, warns that the confrontation between government and opposition demonstrators in the streets of the capital risks deepening into wider conflict. Despite the president's signature of a new constitution on 9 November, the situation remains fragile.
Kyrgyz president agrees changes (09.11.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has signed a new constitution that limits his powers and give more authority to legislators. The document, approved by parliament on Wednesday, is an effort to end mounting protests in the capital Bishkek. The opposition had accused Mr Bakiyev of delaying tactics and failing to keep promises made when he came to power in last year's so-called Tulip revolution. They said he should quit if he failed to agree to the new constitution.
Thousands demand Kyrgyz president resign (06.11.2006)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) At least 10,000 protesters have gathered in front of government headquarters in Bishkek demanding that President Kurmanbek Bakiev implement long-awaited constitutional and other reforms or step down, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. The demonstrators are calling upon policemen on guard near the building to join them.
Kyrgyz protesters call for change (02.11.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Thousands of opposition protesters have gathered in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek for a rally to demand the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. … The opposition has been calling for constitutional changes to shift some presidential powers to parliament. President Bakiyev has rejected their calls for immediate reforms to the constitution.
Constitutional reform effort in Kyrgyzstan enters critical period (24.10.2006)
(Quelle: EurasiaNet) A political showdown is brewing in Kyrgyzstan over constitutional reform. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is intent on retaining a presidential republic, while his political opponents are pushing for a system that enhances parliament’s authority. Developments in the next 10 days could go a long way toward determining the outcome of the constitutional debate.
Kyrgyzstan’s prison system nightmare- new ICG report (16.08.2006)
(Quelle: International Crisis Group (ICG)) Kyrgyzstan’s badly underfunded, neglected prison system threatens to destabilise the fragile state’s security and public health unless government and donors launch an urgent process of penal and judicial reform.
EU supportive, but cautious (18.07.2006)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) As the only country in Central Asia attempting democratic reforms, Kyrgyzstan today won praise in Brussels at a meeting with senior EU officials. However, the praise was tempered privately by EU diplomats, who stressed the challenges still facing the country.
Kyrgyzstan 'expels US diplomats' (11.07.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) The Kyrgyz authorities are expelling two US diplomats for 'inappropriate' contacts with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), reports say. Spokesmen from the foreign ministry and another official body confirmed the reports, but it was unclear whether the diplomats had already left the country.
Kyrgyz opposition defers ultimatum (02.06.2006)
(Quelle: IWPR) The opposition in Kyrgyzstan has failed to achieve the definitive results it hoped its mass protest meeting in Bishkek last weekend would bring, and the stand-off with the government looks set to drag on over the summer months. At a similar rally held on April 29, organisers from the Movement for Reforms promised that the May 27 demonstration would give the authorities an ultimatum to ensure that long-promised reforms were finally addressed, including the removal of government members blamed for some of Kyrgyzstan’s social and economic ills. But on May 10, President Kurmanbek Bakiev took some of the wind out of his opponents’ sails by sacking key government officials … .
Kyrgyzstan leaders face more reform pressure (29.05.2006)
(Quelle: ISN Security Watch) Pressure continues to build in Kyrgyzstan between authorities and anti-government groups. Many believe that Preisdent Kurmanbek Bakiyev is not doing enough to ease the tension. Kyrgyzstan’s leaders are feeling pressure on several fronts. Opponents of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev are preparing to hold another mass protest calling for an accelerated reform pace. Meanwhile, supporters of a controversial slain MP are agitating for Prime Minister Feliks Kulov’s removal.
Kyrgyz-Tajik border raid stokes fears (19.05.2006)
(Quelle: IWPR) Clashes last week between armed guerrillas and the security forces of both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have caused dismay in the region, especially in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek where domestic stability remains a perpetual worry. … Although officials have suggested the men could belong to any of several radical groups including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, IMU, and Hizb-ut-Tahrir, no one is certain whether they have any such affiliation.
Kyrgyzstan says 14 people were killed in border raid by gunmen (14.05.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) Gunmen killed nine people on Friday in raids on border posts and later clashes in the troubled Ferghana Valley along the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan frontier, Kyrgyz authorities said Saturday. Five of the gunmen were killed by the Kyrgyz police, and two were captured, the Interfax news agency said. Several Tajik and Kyrgyz officials suggested that the attacks were the work of Islamic militants.
Regierung tritt ab (03.05.2006)
(Quelle: taz) Der wegen seiner Amtsführung kritisierte kirgisische Präsident Kurmanbek Bakijew gerät immer stärker unter Druck. Gestern trat nach einem Misstrauensvotum des Parlaments die gesamte Regierung zurück, wie Vizeministerpräsident Atachan Madumarow mitteilte. Allerdings bleibe das Kabinett vorerst im Amt, da Bakijew diese Entscheidung nicht akzeptiere. Am Montag hatten bei einer Großkundgebung in der Hauptstadt Bischkek 10.000 Demonstranten Bakijews Rücktritt verlangt. Die Opposition forderte den Staatschef und seinen Premier Felix Kulow ultimativ auf, die von ihnen versprochenen Reformen innerhalb eines Monats umzusetzen.