EURASIA INSIGHT
5/01/06
As the debate sharpens over Kyrgyzstan’s reform plans, the government is taking steps to counter the protest strategy adopted by the opposition.
Like the March 24 anniversary celebrations before it, an April 29 opposition protest rally held on Bishkek’s Ala-Too square, just down the street from parliament and the offices of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, was seen by many local observers as a test for the country’s political stability. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Carrying banners proclaiming "Down with thieves!," "Down with corruption!," and "Down with criminals!," protestors argued that the administration of President Bakiyev differs little from that of ex-President Askar Akayev, ousted following last year’s Tulip Revolution. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Government supporters and ministers had earlier suggested that the rally could be used as an excuse by unidentified individuals to stage a "provocation" against the Bakiyev government. The two-hour-long rally, which attracted several thousand activists and onlookers despite heavy rain, took place peacefully, however.
The protest was marked by a surprise appearance by President Bakiyev and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov. In a five-minute address to protestors at the rally’s end, both Bakiyev and Kulov attempted to assure protestors that the government had taken note of their demand for a crackdown on crime and corruption, along with a call for the implementation of reforms. Bakiyev dismissed accusations that his governing style closely resembles that of ousted President Akayev, telling rally participants that "I will never run away. If the need arises, I will die here, before my people. I will always be with you." [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Demands for accelerated reforms would not pass unnoticed, continued Prime Minister Kulov, who had earlier stated that he shared most of the protestors’ concerns. "One can resolve nothing in just one day; your demands will not be left unattended to," he said.
Rally leaders have said that they will use the next month to evaluate the government’s progress on reform. A second rally has been tentatively scheduled for May 27. With speculation about the rally’s outcome gathering pace, the government launched a campaign in late April to minimize differences with opposition members and civil society activists, and emphasize its own ability to withstand popular protests. In an interview broadcast on public television on the evening of April 28, Kulov announced that he had begun work on a law on opposition parties and "on exclusion of pressure from the authorities on mass media outlets."
Bakiyev also recently signed a decree that transfers the right to appoint directors of state-run companies to the prime minister – an apparent attempt to respond to criticism about the appointment of Bakiyev relatives to various government positions.
Similarly, the Interior Ministry, a frequent target of criticism for failing to combat organized crime, also is attempting to present a more reform-friendly face. In what was described by Interior Minister Murat Sutalinov as "a surprise," female police officers, distributing carnations to rally participants, were used to maintain order at the protest. Sutalinov, on hand at the protest, told journalists that the police should become a "benevolent" organization and act as the "defender of rights and citizen freedoms," the Kabar information agency reported.
Not everything went off without a hitch. Bakiyev was booed by the crowd after initial remarks that criticized some rally organizers and members of parliament for "blindness and shortsightedness." In recent weeks, differences between the opposition and the Bakiyev government have mounted. Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister Almaz Atambayev, a wealthy businessman and former Bakiyev ally, resigned on April 21 to join the opposition in protest at the government’s sluggish reform performance.
The government reportedly also took measures to ensure its own voice was heard. Local governments organized so-called anti-rallies in which citizens were urged not to trust certain civil society and opposition leaders, who were accused of attempting to destabilize Kyrgyzstan. Heads of state-run enterprises reportedly forced employees to take part in sports and cultural events that coincided with the April 29 rally, while national mass media outlets provided either spotty reporting of the protest or, in the case of privately owned publications such as Vecherniy Bishkek and MSN newspapers, both owned by Bakiyev ally Alexander Kim, supported the president’s position.
In an April 26 interview with state-run Kyrgyz Television, Bakiyev warned that any attempt by protestors to seize the presidential administration building – a tactic used by protesters during the 2005 Tulip Revolution – would prove "pointless."
"Those organizers will not try to get into the government building. They know how it may end," he said.
No protests were held in the southern town of Jalal-abad or the surrounding region, home to the Bakiyev family. A protest in the Batken region was cancelled, while former Osh Governor Anvar Artykov, an ethnic Uzbek, was able to gather only 25 supporters in the southern city of Osh, the country’s second largest city, for a protest rally. Artykov now is affiliated with the opposition For Reforms Movement, which is led by former parliamentary speaker Omurbek Tekebaev. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
An April 26 meeting in Osh, billed as a precursor to the larger April 29 event, gained more attention for an attempt by a group of pro-Bakiyev elderly women to grab hold of the microphone. Roughly 30 unidentified young men in sportswear later joined the meeting and attempted to push participants out of the city square where the gathering was held. The skirmish subsided after police intervened.
As in Bishkek, the Osh opposition protest was preceded with gatherings in support of Bakiyev. On April 25, the Jany Kyrgyzstan (New Kyrgyzstan), Moya Strana (My Country), Sodrujestvo (Commonwealth) parties held such a rally in Osh’s central square that was attended by the employees of various state-financed enterprises, universities and schools.
Osh high school principal Azam Abdurazzakov said that he was ordered to lead students to the square to "defend" President Bakiyev. "Teachers, state employees must protect and defend the president," Abdurazzakov said. "As under Akayev, the practice of using such a method is still in use."
Bakiyev is generally believed to enjoy stronger political support in southern Kyrgyzstan, where he was born, than in the north. Residents of such northern regions as Chuy, Talas and the capital, Bishkek, have been more outspoken in their criticism of the government. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Editor’s Note: This article contains reporting by Osh-based correspondent Alisher Saipov.
