Kyrgyz rights activist hopeful of presidential election chances

The chairman of the Kyrgyz Human Rights Movement, Tursunbek Akunov, who is standing in the Kyrgyz presidential elections on 29th October, presented his second election speech on Kyrgyz TV on 25th October in a 10-minute programme entitled "There is no law where there is no morality".

Akunov expressed his firm decision to fight the presidential elections to the end. "Some of my opponents have circulated rumours alleging that I, Tursunbay Akunov, would withdraw my candidacy on the eve of the presidential elections and give my vote to representatives of the authorities. I remind my electorate that I will never withdraw my candidacy. I will fight to the bitter end. I will not give my vote nor my electorate's votes to anyone, " Akunov said.

As regards his role in politics, Akunov said he was acting as "a third force" balancing the authorities and the opposition. "Although the authorities have good points, they have been responsible for a series of shortcomings: they attacked the opposition without any grounds, went completely overboard and their [authorities'] chiefs harassed them. I consider this is wrong. Also, opposition members have failed to see the authorities' good points. They are doing everything they can to gain power: they attack the authorities unfairly and deceive old people with pledges that they will build a new socialism just in order to win over the voters. They are criticizing the authorities unfairly. So, the authorities and the opposition are hurling brickbats at one another. In this situation, I represent a third force between them. I speak about the good qualities of both the authorities and the opposition. I criticize shortcomings made both by the authorities and the opposition," Akunov said.

Akunov defended his role as human rights activist in Kyrgyzstan and as mediator during the negotiations with militants in the southern Batken Region in 1999.

Akunov deplored the lack of truth and honesty and decline in moral standards in present-day Kyrgyzstan. "It is very difficult to find truth in our society. It is very difficult to find a moral person. It is too difficult to find a moral leader. There are very few who are bursting to find the truth. They all pursue money, power, wealth, administrative posts and pursue votes. My aim is to tell the truth and to call upon people to morality, even if I do not become president and fail to win over the voters," Akunov said.

Akunov nevertheless said he was confident that he would win the presidential elections. "Thousands of people will vote for me. I have great hopes that I will gain more votes than my opponents," Akunov said.

Source: Kyrgyz Television first channel, Bishkek, in Kyrgyz 1310 gmt 25 Oct 00

BBC Mon CAU 261000/** va/mk

Email this article
Posted October 24, 2000 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org

	The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, political and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.