![[Kyrgyzstan] Reading about themselves - opposition demonstrators take a breather. [Date picture taken: 11/03/2006]](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20061168.jpg.webp?itok=1SnUnKSL "Reading about themselves - opposition demonstrators take a breather")
An opposition rally in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, continued to demand the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov on Friday.
The demonstration is in support of a group of opposition leaders, including members of parliament, and the former minister of foreign affairs, Roza Otunbaeva, who accuse the country’s leaders of corruption, nepotism, lack of economic growth and stalling on constitutional reform.
The rally started a day earlier when up to 50,000 people gathered in the capital’s main square. Around 1,500 stayed overnight in an impromptu camp of 300 tents on the square.
Protest organisers said they were expecting more people to join them from the regions but they had difficulties getting to the capital.
“Authorities are blocking the roads to Bishkek and not allowing large groups of opposition members to enter the city and join us,” Anvar Artykov, ex-governor of the southern province of Osh and one of the opposition leaders from the south of Kyrgyzstan.
“Our main demand is a urgent constitutional reform, which would transfer most of the power to parliament,” said Artykov. “We intend to insist on this until the very end. For this reason our protest will be without time limits until our demands are met.”
The political crisis has kindled fears of a repeat of last year’s so called “Tulip Revolution”, which brought Bakiyev and Kulov to power, with authorities warning of plans for a coup by the opposition.
Speaking on Kyrgyz television, Prime Minister Feliks Kulov said that any attempt to destabilise the country would be severely suppressed.
Eighteen months after the new government took power, many in the mountainous nation believe the new government has failed to deliver on its promises, saying Kyrgyzstan is still too poor, too corrupt and too undemocratic.
The current crisis was prompted on Thursday when Bakiyev failed to submit a proposal on an immediate constitutional reform that would seriously curb his powers and broaden the authority of parliament.
The protests appear to have plenty of popular support from ordinary Kyrgyz people who believe little has changed in the Central Asian republic since Bakiev came to power.
“People are too tired of the unfulfilled promises of the president,” said Bakyt Beshkempirov, a teacher in a school in the suburbs of the capital who had joined the protesters.
“Bakiev does not know how to rule the country. It was a big mistake that we elected him last year as our president and now we need to correct this mistake as soon as possible,” he added.
By mid-morning about 3,000 people had gathered in Biskek’s main square and more groups were continuing to arrive.
Many shops, restaurants, educational institutions especially those in the centre of the city, remained closed. Businesses strengthened doors and windows and put security guards outside their premises, fearing a repetition of massive looting which followed the “tulip revolution” in March 2005. Public transport was working normally.
Nobody was prepared to predict how many days the protest would continue. Opposition leaders expected a boost in attendance over the weekend. As if to signal the protesters’ commitment to the demonstration, yurts – the traditional nomadic home made of felt and wooden poles – began to be erected. The provision of free hot meals for all involved was organised for free for all protesters.
But the protest has not attracted universal support. Many people in the capital condemned the action of the opposition for undermining stability and presenting Kyrgyzstan internationally as a “country in constant turmoil”.
“With those protesters, Kyrgyzstan will not calm down for a long time,” complained Lyudmila Svytochkina, an accountant in an electronics shops. “They are not giving the president a chance to show what he is capable of.”
Sergei Fedyanin, a visiting Russian businessman, had similar thoughts. “It took seven years for our president, Mr Putin, to achieve some kind of progress,” he said.
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The demonstration is in support of a group of opposition leaders, including members of parliament, and the former minister of foreign affairs, Roza Otunbaeva, who accuse the country’s leaders of corruption, nepotism, lack of economic growth and stalling on constitutional reform.
The rally started a day earlier when up to 50,000 people gathered in the capital’s main square. Around 1,500 stayed overnight in an impromptu camp of 300 tents on the square.
Protest organisers said they were expecting more people to join them from the regions but they had difficulties getting to the capital.
“Authorities are blocking the roads to Bishkek and not allowing large groups of opposition members to enter the city and join us,” Anvar Artykov, ex-governor of the southern province of Osh and one of the opposition leaders from the south of Kyrgyzstan.
“Our main demand is a urgent constitutional reform, which would transfer most of the power to parliament,” said Artykov. “We intend to insist on this until the very end. For this reason our protest will be without time limits until our demands are met.”
The political crisis has kindled fears of a repeat of last year’s so called “Tulip Revolution”, which brought Bakiyev and Kulov to power, with authorities warning of plans for a coup by the opposition.
Speaking on Kyrgyz television, Prime Minister Feliks Kulov said that any attempt to destabilise the country would be severely suppressed.
Eighteen months after the new government took power, many in the mountainous nation believe the new government has failed to deliver on its promises, saying Kyrgyzstan is still too poor, too corrupt and too undemocratic.
The current crisis was prompted on Thursday when Bakiyev failed to submit a proposal on an immediate constitutional reform that would seriously curb his powers and broaden the authority of parliament.
The protests appear to have plenty of popular support from ordinary Kyrgyz people who believe little has changed in the Central Asian republic since Bakiev came to power.
“People are too tired of the unfulfilled promises of the president,” said Bakyt Beshkempirov, a teacher in a school in the suburbs of the capital who had joined the protesters.
“Bakiev does not know how to rule the country. It was a big mistake that we elected him last year as our president and now we need to correct this mistake as soon as possible,” he added.
By mid-morning about 3,000 people had gathered in Biskek’s main square and more groups were continuing to arrive.
Many shops, restaurants, educational institutions especially those in the centre of the city, remained closed. Businesses strengthened doors and windows and put security guards outside their premises, fearing a repetition of massive looting which followed the “tulip revolution” in March 2005. Public transport was working normally.
Nobody was prepared to predict how many days the protest would continue. Opposition leaders expected a boost in attendance over the weekend. As if to signal the protesters’ commitment to the demonstration, yurts – the traditional nomadic home made of felt and wooden poles – began to be erected. The provision of free hot meals for all involved was organised for free for all protesters.
But the protest has not attracted universal support. Many people in the capital condemned the action of the opposition for undermining stability and presenting Kyrgyzstan internationally as a “country in constant turmoil”.
“With those protesters, Kyrgyzstan will not calm down for a long time,” complained Lyudmila Svytochkina, an accountant in an electronics shops. “They are not giving the president a chance to show what he is capable of.”
Sergei Fedyanin, a visiting Russian businessman, had similar thoughts. “It took seven years for our president, Mr Putin, to achieve some kind of progress,” he said.
tp/sc/jl
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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