JU LIA KAISER | F E AT U R E
NEW PRESIDENT, OLD SYSTEM: THE LATEST ELECTIONS MADE THE SMALL STATE RETURN TO ITS ONCE-ABOLISHED PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM. THIS STEP BACK SENT THE ONLY DEMOCRACY IN CENTRAL ASIA ON A DIFFERENT TRACK WITH A YET-UNKNOWN DESTINATION. THE PERSPECTIVE SPOKE TO AN ELECTION OBSERVER, A LOCAL AND A HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH EXPERT TO GAIN INSIGHT TO KYRGYZSTAN’S ROCKY ROAD TO DEMOCRACY AND ITS LATEST
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t the beginning of the year, Kyrgyzstan witnessed yet another dawn: the inauguration of a new, but controversial president. On top of that, the electorate voted to expand his powers. This election followed an annulled parliamentary election back in October 2020 that resulted in violent protests. Little is known about this small country hidden by great mountain ranges. Bordering China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic lies in the hilly heart of Central Asia. The citizens speak both Kyrgyz—a Turkic language— and Russian. About 75% of the population are Sunni Muslims, while about 20% profess Russian Orthodox Christianity. The former member of the Soviet Unionis home to over six million inhabitants, of which about one million live in the capital, Bishkek. Democratic Development: An Uphill-Downhill Journey Just like a ride through the hilly Kyrgyz scenery, the country’s democratic development had its ups and downs. Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union on August 31, 1991 under Askar Akayev who was confirmed as president in October 1991 and remained in office for almost 14 years. After corruption allegations in the parliamentary elections in February 2005, mass demonstrations known as the “Tulip Revolution” led to the resignation of the increasingly authoritarian Akayev.
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His successor was Kurmanbek Bakiyev, head of the People’s Movement of Kyrgyzstan, who had helped lead the opposition. However, his democratic intentions turned out to be empty promises: in 2010, Kyrgyzstan saw a violent revolution and Bakiyev went into exile in Belarus. This second revolution led to a referendum, the game changer of the Kyrgyz democracy: the citizens voted for a parliamentary democracy, leaving the presidential system behind. Kyrgyzstan became the democratic island—or rather mountaintop—of Central Asia. A Weakened Economy: All That Glitters Is Not Gold Hugh Williamson, the director of the Europe & Central Asia division at Human Rights Watch, considers all the countries in Central Asia to be “at a very low base in terms of their achievements on international human rights standards.” Yet, Kyrgyzstan is a little bit more advanced—despite severe issues around corruption and nepotism. In Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Kyrgyzstan ranks 126th out of 180 countries. The country is one of the poorest ex-Soviet republics and has been relying on Russian support ever since the dismantling of the USSR. “On January 4, the Russian Federation sent us help worth $20 million to pay the pensions and social money and support, otherwise our financial system would have collapsed,” reports Maria, whose name was changed for privacy purposes. The young woman from Bishkek fears that older people are going to suffer a lot—that they are going to starve. Sadyr Japarov‘s election poster. © Hanns Seidel Stiftung Zentralasienvertretung
