One question hovers over political developments in Kyrgyzstan these days: Where does Russia stand? So it comes as no surprise that experts and pundits in Bishkek are busy sifting clues as to who the Kremlin is backing in the Central Asian nation’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
As Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary election campaign intensifies, some observers worry it can stir up still-raw emotions connected to this summer’s violent clashes in the South.
It’s boom time for Kyrgyzstan’s political parties. When voters approved a new constitution on June 27, the country became the first parliamentary republic in Central Asia. Since then, the Justice Ministry has registered 148 parties to compete in elections scheduled for this October; more are reportedly waiting in the queue.
They stopped the looting, helped save the new government, and gave many frightened residents in strife-torn Kyrgyzstan peace of mind. But there’s a danger now that members of Kyrgyzstan's volunteer militia formations – or narodniye druzhiniki – may develop into players who exert undue influence over the next phase of the Central Asian nation’s political development.
Some believers in Kyrgyzstan think the political upheaval that brought down Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s administration has created a new opportunity to mix faith and politics. There’s even talk these days that Kyrgyzstan could become the second Central Asian state, after Tajikistan, to feature a legally operating Islamist political party.
Kyrgyzstan is paying a severe economic price for its political instability. The Central Asian country is suffering from a de facto trade embargo, as neighboring states, including China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are keeping their respective borders closed.
Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government wants to put former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, along with some of his top lieutenants and family members, on trial for various misdeeds, including the misappropriation of state funds. The looting that swept Bishkek on April 7-8 amid the administration’s downfall, however, promises to complicate the task of prosecuting Kyrgyzstan’s past leaders.
