I’ve been quite remiss in not covering the recent elections in Central Asia, but luckily Nathan, at The Argus, in collaboration with Ben Paarmann of ThinkingEast.net are doing some great original reporting of the situation in Kyrgyzstan, where anti-government protests have been taking place over the past couple of weeks. Yesterday’s report listed a number of areas where protests are taking place – the largest is at Jalal-Abad:
The most dangerous situation is in Jalal-Abad. In Jalal-Abad, about 10,000 people are continuing blocking the oblast administration and protesting in Central park. Several opposition famous figures are meeting with them and from yeserday Bakiev, supported with others, has started initiating the idea of conducting presidential elections first, remove current government and after that do the rest of parliamentary elections.
The protests are not as straightforward as recent ones in Ukraine and Georgia. Last month’s elections were parliamentary, and the Presidential election isn’t due until October:
…a lot of people here suspect those demonstrators to be paid to be out there and it’s hard to assess whether they’re for real. This whole election was bound to have some ‘colour revolution’ elements in it, opposition leaders had been clamouring for that all along, but I’m not sure if there is enough mass unrest to spark off a Georgian or Ukrainian-style revolution. Many locals here say that the real question is whether Akaev is going to stand again in October or if he’ll keep his promise and resign. As I was told this morning, he’s already probing for support in Osh oblast for a popular referendum to extend his mandate.
Fascinating stuff, and well worth keeping an eye on.
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