Poll ushers in new era of ethnic minority representation

One positive outcome of the Kyrgyz parliamentary election held on 27 February, is that many representatives of ethnic minority groups have won seats based on preliminary results, a development welcomed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Rolf Ekéus. "This represents a step forward in comparison with the last elections. In other words, this reflects much better the real ratio of the number of representatives of ethnic minorities living in Kyrgyzstan," Ekéus told IRIN on Thursday in the capital Bishkek. Representatives of more than 80 ethnic groups live in Kyrgyzstan, which has the population of some 5 million. The Kyrgyz population includes substantial minorities of ethnic Uzbeks and Russians, along with Uighurs, Dungans (ethnic Chinese Muslims), and Tatars. Between 1991 and 2002, more than 600,000 people emigrated from Kyrgyzstan and the ethnic minority portion of the population declined from 47 to 33 percent. While in Bishkek, Ekéus acknowledged that the country faced very real challenges, given that one in three people living there was not Kyrgyz. “Every day Kyrgyzstan has to solve very difficult challenges such as integration of ethnic minorities through education, in which I am personally interested," the ambassador noted. During a meeting on Thursday with the president, the OSCE representative spoke about further assistance to the national 'Integration in Kyrgyzstan by Means of Education' project, which aims to introduce bilingualism in the country's schools where traditionally only one language is spoken. There has been significantly less ethnic tension in Kyrgyzstan than in other Central Asian republics since independence in 1991. Uzbeks, who form the largest minority in Kyrgyzstan, with an estimated 700,000-strong population living mostly in the south of the country, have traditionally backed President Askar Akaev's policies, fearful that a change in the status quo could impact negatively on minorities. Bishkek is proud of its positive ethnic relations and has introduced a number of policies to encourage integration. "In Kyrgyzstan there is a special ‘Kyrgyzstan is Our Common Home’ programme and also the Assembly of Peoples of Kyrgyzstan [an ethnic minority parliament, but with no power] operates actively in the country. We dynamically cooperate with all structures of the OSCE," Alikbek Jekshenkulov, head of the foreign policy department of the presidential administration, told IRIN. The election of a record number of candidates from ethnic groups is expected to further encourage integration and boost minority rights in the republic