Kyrgyzstan News Roundup - Digest Wed 22 - Tues 28

News from KyrgyzInfo:

• The Ministry of Transport has reported that Kyrgyzstan "loses" 200km of road annually as a result of insufficient maintenance. (22/06)
• The General Procurator announced that he was intending to ask the Zhogorku Kenesh to strip Askar Akaev and his son, Aidar, of immunity from prosecution. Investigations into the Akaevs' holdings and property are still ongoing, with investigators flying to Moscow to question the ex-President, and another group flying to Turkey. (22/06)
• Damage caused by the disturbances on June 17 is estimated to have cost 24,403,400 som, or approximately £327,046. In addition, more than 50 policemen were injured, 13 of whom required hospitalisation, including 2 in intensive care. (22/06)
• The was an attack on Bermet Akaeva's bodyguards last Tuesday, with Akaeva asserting that it was an attempt by the government to intimidate her. (23/06)
• CIS observers are preparing to observe the presidential elections, including observers from Ukraine, which proved a sticky point after the first round of the parliamentary elections at the end of February. (23/06)
• Daniyar Usenov has denied holding Kazakh citizenship. (24/06)
• Continuing the sue and counter sue legal battle between the Akaevs and the acting government, Bermnet Akaev has complained to the Supreme Court about the decision of the Pervomaiskii district court to void the results of the parliamentary elections in electoral district Universitetskii 1, where she ran as a candidate and was initially declared the victor. (24/06)
• The Zhogorku Kenesh has called on the government to take immediate measures to stabilise the situation in the republic, with debate in the parliament on the matter hearing a wide range of views. (24/06)
• Meanwhile on Monday acting President Bakiev announced that the situation in the country is stable overall, although he agreed that "certain complications arise from time to time". (28/06)
• Omurbek Tekebaev, Zhogorku Kenesh speaker, has fallen victim to the chaos surrounding the issuing of new passports. As a result of his not holding a new passport, he will be unable to head up a parliamentary delegation to the USA. (28/06)
• Less seriously, armwrestling is apparently becoming a popular sport in Kyrgyzstan. (28/06)

NGO & Civil Organisation and e-list News:

• A new website, Molodezh Kyrgyzstana (Youth of Kyrgyzstan) has been set up. It has been set up to provide a forum for "thinking" youth, and also has news, analytical articles, links to other youth organisation and photos. It is currently in Russian only.
• 2 week's worth of Kyrgyz News Weekly are available. To keep this blog a bit shorter, the main events of each week have been posted on separate pages - week 12- 19 June and week 19 - 26 June.
• KelKel sent out an article entitled "МВД Кыргызстана приобретает человеческий облик на фоне усиливающегося шелеста купюр контрреволюции" from the United Coalition website.
• Birge! distributed details of the conclusions of the State Commision responsible for investigating the issue of the Akaevs' property, providing links to the AKI Press story and the full conclusions.
• A PACE Declaration (No. 365) on The Asylum Situation in Kyrgyzstan was circulated by the HR Kyrgyzstan e-list.
• There's also been an Open Address to the European Union regarding the Andijan massacre. The text is available on the Pomaranch website in Russian, English and French.
• Birge! held a campaign called «Избиратель, проверь свое имя в списках избирателей до дня выборов!» on June 24. Details from AKI Press here.

Other news:

• OCHA's Relief Web reports on floods and mudflows in Kyrgyzstan.
• AlertNet has an article on media liberalisation in the republic.
• Turkish Weekly reports that charges have been brought against Aidar Akaev for what could be euphemistically described as irregular business practices (by anyone's standards except those of despotic ruling elites...).
• Feliks Kulov has been quoted as saying he fears that the presidential elections could be derailed by certain politicians who are seeking to wreck the process, reports Monstersandcritics.com.
• Kyrgyzstan has apparently reversed a decision to repatriate Uzbek refugees in the face of international pressure, according to the Globe and Mail (Canada).
• Monstersandcritics.com also reports on a heavy police and army presence in Bishkek last Thursday in anticipation of more protests on the Friday, which did not in the event emerge.

A more general Central Asia roundup will be posted tomorrow.