Kyrgyz News Weekly

KYRGYZSTAN: 22-29 MAY 2005
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Review of the week main events (most important in red)

1. Second Russian military base to be open in Kyrgyzstan.
2. Kyrgyzstan rejects accusations by Uzbekistan.
3. Kyrgyzstan returns to a situation of democracy in transition.
4. Akayev begins delivering lectures on the Kyrgyz revolution.
5. About 20 people are nominated to presidency.
6. Agreement between Bakiev and Kulov does not secure absence of confrontation.
7. HRW urges Kyrgyz authorities to improve conditions of the Uzbekrefugees.
8. Commission on the Akayev's property would make a politicalassessment.
9. Former president Akayev rushes to the attack.
10. Akayev made a revolution from nothing.

1. SECOND RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE TO BE OPEN IN KYRGYZSTAN. The regional newspaper "Echo of Osh" reported on 23 May that Modest Kolerov, head of the department for regional and cultural relations of the Russian presidential administration, said at a meeting in Osh City on 19 May that a Russian military base with up to 1,000 servicemen would be deployed in Osh. However, Avazbek Atakhanov, press secretary of Kyrgyzstan's interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev, told journalists on 23 May. "Interim Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev did hold a meeting with a Russian delegation…. on May 19. But the issue of creating a military base was not discussed at that meeting". Russian Defense Ministry said on 23 May, "There are no plans today to increase Russia's military presence in the Central Asian region" and the Collective Security Treaty Organization said the same day there was no official request from Kyrgyzstan.However, Anvar Artykov, acting governor of the Osh Province, told a news conference on 24 May that "negotiations on creating a Russian military base in Osh are in progress", Moscow-based "Vremya Novostei" reported on 24 May that officials close to Feliks Kulov initiated the issue, Kolerov himself told "Moskovsky Komsomolets" on 24 May the initiator was Bakiev and Bakiev told Russia's "Kommersant" on 26 May, "If there is a need then a military base could be created in Osh within the framework" of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Russian Foreign Ministry aid on 26 May, it does not possess information about the official request by Kyrgyzstan To receive the texts of the articles and interviews, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz. Interfax, AFP, AKIpress, Kommersant, NG, VN, MK

2. KYRGYZSTAN REJECTS ACCUSATIONS BY UZBEKISTAN. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry sent a return note to Tashkent on 23 May saying "Careful search and investigative operations have not confirmed rumors about the transfer of weapons and guerillas related to external forces, including the Taliban, into the Andijan region through [Kyrgyz] territory…. Reports about 73 firearms allegedly seized by Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies from Uzbek citizens who crossed the Kyrgyz border over this time have failed to be confirmed". It says also that the state border in the town of Kara-Suu was guarded by the Kyrgyz border guards only since the events began and the Uzbek border guards reappeared recently only.Bishkek suggested Tashkent holding "a meeting at the level of deputy ministers of foreign affairs and security services of the two countries in the border district in the near future" to develop joint measures to stabilize the situation and discuss the temporary presence of Uzbek citizens in the Suzak district. The Uzbek Foreign Ministry sent a note on 19 May concerning about rallies held by religious groups on the border between the two republics and saying the situation in the Kyrgyz regions bordering on Uzbekistan shows that there have been serious disturbances and rallies by disorganized religious groups there lately and "If the Kyrgyz authorities fail to act swiftly and take proper measures, the situation may slip out of control". Interfax

3. KYRGYZSTAN RETURNS TO A SITUATION OF DEMOCRACY IN TRANSITION. Lev Ponomarev wrote in Moscow-based "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" on 24 May that the CIS countries could be divided into three groups - democracies in transition, quasi democracies and despotisms. Belarus, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are despotisms. The quasi democracies provoke revolutions when the socio-economic situation is worsened if they are not degenerate into a cover of competition between oligarchic clans. If the revolutions succeed, the system returns to democracy in transition, it happens in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Russia are quasi democracies. However, Russia began in 2000 moving to despotism and Kyrgyzstan could have had Islamic radicalism if the revolution failed. To receive the article, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz.

4. AKAYEV BEGINS DELIVERING LECTURES ON THE KYRGYZ REVOLUTION. Bermet Akayev, the daughter of ousted President Askar Akayev, had to leave the office of the "Alga, Kyrgyzstan!" party in Bishkek on 24 May after about 15 people picketed the office with posters "Bermet, Get out of Kyrgyzstan!". She said later that arrived in Bishkek on 23 May and only officials of the National Security Service could now it. According to her, her brother Aidar would return in Kyrgyzstan to serve as a parliamentarian and her father travels different countries delivering lectures on the last events in Kyrgyzstan. AKIpress

5. ABOUT 20 PEOPLE ARE NOMINATED TO PRESIDENCY. The time to nominate candidates to presidency expired in Kyrgyzstan on 25 May, 22 people had been nominated, 19 of them applied their documents - Akbaraly Aitikeev, Kubanychbek Apasov, Almazbek Atambaev, Kurmanbek Bakiev, Tursunbai Bakir uulu, Urmatbek Barktabasov, Omurbek Bolturukov, Keneshbek Duishebaev, Jypar Jeksheev, Gaisha Ibragimova, Feliks Kulov, Jenishbek Nazaraliev, Nazarbek Nyshanov, Damira Omurkulova, Dastan Sarygulov, Amnabai Satybaev, Toktaiym Umetalieva, Jusupbek Sharipov and Bayaman Erkinbaev. Later, Kulov, Atambaev, Nazaraliev and Erkinbaev withdrew from the race, however, only Nazaraliev and Erkinbaev took back their appeals. AKIpress

6. AGREEMENT BETWEEN BAKIEV AND KULOV DOES NOT SECURE ABSENCE OF CONFRONTATION. Kazakh political scientist Erlan Karin said in Almaty on 26 May that the presidential election in Kyrgyzstan would not stop a revolution in the country and antagonisms among the political elite would not be slackened, they could be increased. According to Karin, the agreement between Kurmanbek Bakiev and Feliks Kulov does not guarantee absence of confrontation in the future because it ignores the constitutional principle of equality of powers, and there is a possibility that Bakiev would dissolve the parliament if it rejects three times appoint in Kulov prime minister. In that case, Bakiev would rid himself of the both his opponents - Kulov and parliamentary speaker Omurbek Tekebaev. Interfax

7. HRW URGES KYRGYZ AUTHORITIES TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS OF THE UZBEK REFUGEES. New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Kyrgyz authorities on 27 May to move the asylum seekers to a safer location, improve their conditions and ensure that they are not sent home against their will. "Kyrgyzstan did the right thing by allowing the first wave of Uzbek citizens to enter its territory," Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, said in a statement. "But it must ensure respect for the right to seek asylum. If people are pushed back at the border or forcibly returned to Uzbekistan, they could be killed or tortured." To receive the text, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz. HRW

8. COMMISSION ON THE AKAYEV'S PROPERTY WOULD MAKE A POLITICAL ASSESSMENT. Daniyar Usenov, acting deputy prime minister and head of the commission probing former President Askar Akayev's property, told a parliamentary session on 27 May, "The damage caused by the president's family through tax evasion, the violation of privatization rules, duty evasions and other offenses is estimated at billions of soms" and the list of companies and facilities affiliated with the president and his family has grown to 178. According to Usenov, "The commission uncovered facilities that had not been officially registered that were operating in Kyrgyzstan. It also exposed various schemes for tax evasion and concealment of incomes from growing production and also the donation of unaccounted money to various funds, including the fund of President Akayev and the fund of the prime minister". Usenov said the commission aims making only a political assessment of the Akayev's activity. Interfax

9. FORMER PRESIDENT AKAYEV RUSHES TO THE ATTACK. Maksim Maksimovich, a Russian lawyers of former Kyrgyz president Askar Akayev said in Bishkek on 27 May that Akayev could consider himself a formal president of Kyrgyzstan because not the Kyrgyz leadership did not meet its obligations according to a protocol supplied to the Akayev statement on resignation, so, the statement has no legal power now. Maksimovich also said he intends to sue Daniyar Usenov, the chairman of the state commission on identifying the property of the ex-Kyrgyz leader, because he agreed with Journalist Lyudmila Jolmuhamedova who called Akayev 'a mastermind thief'. Maksimovish added he was sure he would win a legal case against Doctor Jenishbek Nazaraliev. According to the lawyer, he met with interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev in Bishkek on 26 may and the latter signed a special decision on returning Akayev his personal goods, medical and archive documents, as well as books. AKIpress, Interfax

10. AKAYEV MADE A REVOLUTION FROM NOTHING. Aleksandr Kynev wrote in Moscow-based "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" on 27 May that there would not be any revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan if Kuchma, Shevardnadze and Akayev were not such unpopular among their nations and any support from abroad could help to topple those regimes. If somebody organized the March Revolution in Kyrgyzstan, it was President Askar Akayev himself, who moved his companion-in-arms into opposition, who filled the newspaper and broadcasts with PR-ravings, who tried packing the parliament with his relatives denying the opposition of even one-third seats in parliament. If there were real opposition leaders of the revolution there would not be any revolution in Kyrgyzstan, Kynev writes. To receive the article, please send a request to IdinovN@tiscali.cz.

Information compiled by Kyrgyz Weekly. Subscribe at Yahoo Groups to KYRGYZNEWS