On a macro level, Kyrgyzstan's presidential election marks a historic break with the past. But up close, the results might be described as ‘same-old, same-old.’
Conditions are such in Kyrgyzstan that a supposed break in a high-profile murder case is reinforcing an impression that the central government is weak, while stoking regional tension.
The presidential election campaign is in full swing in Kyrgyzstan. That means the state television channel, the Central Asian nation’s most popular source for news, is turning into a battleground.
Provisional President Roza Otunbayeva has authorized the creation of a special oversight body that will monitor how Pentagon payments for the use of the Manas Transit Center are handled.
Foreign executives say the business climate in Kyrgyzstan is going from bad to worse. As a result, the Kyrgyz government is squandering a chance to maximize its revenue from the mining sector.
In the weeks since Kyrgyzstan’s authorities tore down a monument to freedom in Bishkek’s central square, vowing to replace it with a statue of the legendary Manas, a campaign to rename the capital after the mythical hero is gaining momentum. But how much Manas can Kyrgyzstan handle?
Officials are touting new procedures for selecting judges as a significant step toward increasing transparency and promoting the concept of judicial independence in Kyrgyzstan. But, for some civil society activists, the approach is sowing more doubt than confidence in the system.
A year ago, voters in Kyrgyzstan endorsed an experiment that boldly hoped to change the course of political history in Central Asia. They approved a constitution that ushered in a parliamentary form of government to a country surrounded by post-Soviet strongmen overseeing “super-presidential” systems. Today, the jury is out on whether the move has worked.
