Kyrgyzstan: President Promises to Fight Authoritarian Trends

In trying to offer reassurance about his commitment to democratization, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev may have raised more questions than he answered during a surprise March 24 television address.

Bakiyev has faced accusations from his opponents that he is drifting toward authoritarianism. Those calls have picked up pace in recent weeks, a time period when authorities have barred a leading Russian human rights activist from the country, have introduced legal amendments that would dramatically increase government oversight of non-governmental organizations, and a former top aide to the president has died under mysterious circumstances. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

With an early presidential election date having just been set for July 23, Bakiyev made a 15-minute televised address on March 24. Technically, the address marked the fourth anniversary of the country's Tulip Revolution, which drove former president Askar Akayev from power and opened the path to the presidency for Bakiyev. But Bakiyev spoke more about the future than the past. The incumbent president seemed intent on trying to convince viewers that he had not succumbed to the temptations of power, as did his predecessor.

Bakiyev touted what he billed as a "Course for Renewal of the Country," as well as stressed his readiness to work with opposition parties and human rights group to create a stable, multi-party system. The address was widely seen as an opening volley for his reelection campaign. "The opposition talks of the need to change the people in power, because in their view, the country is moving towards authoritarianism. I am convinced that a reshuffling of people will not change the situation," Bakiyev said,

But even as expressed a commitment to democratization, Bakiyev sowed doubts about his intentions. At one point, he emphasized the need for stability, which some observers interpreted as Central Asian code for strongman tactics.

"It is the moral duty of the president to hand over to the next president the country in better condition than he received it from the previous one. Whoever is the next president will get a politically stable country poised for positive change, a very different country from the way it was in 2001-2005," Bakiyev said. He went on to say Kyrgyzstan stood at a crossroads, where it faced a choice between "permanent revolution [. . .], and, as a result, dependence on outside forces and projects" or "progressive systemic changes."

Bakiyev indicated that he would soon release a blueprint detailing how he plans to implement reforms. "As president I offer a system of measures and specific mechanisms to counter the trend of authoritarianism," Bakiyev said. "I know how to direct this path. I know how we can implement it."