Kyrgyz unrest: Former president re-arrested as power struggle intensifies

Kyrgyzstan’s former president has been re-arrested as the country’s current leader seeks to oust him after days of unrest over disputed elections.

Security forces detained former leader Almazbek Atambayev in a raid on Saturday.

He was released days ago by supporters in protest of a parliamentary vote he fought last Sunday.

This election has created a political crisis in the Central Asian country.

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament on Saturday named nationalist politician Sadir Zaparov as the new prime minister, leaving a vacuum of power after his predecessor resigned.

Mr Zaparov is among many prominent politicians who were released during protests this week. He was serving a prison sentence in 2013 for holding a government official hostage.

The unrest erupted on Tuesday when protesters took to the streets of the capital, Bishkek, demanding new votes and the resignation of pro-Russian President Soronbe Jinbekov.

They said the election results had been harsh – citing International Monitor’s claims as “credible” and a cause for “serious concern”.

President Jinbekov has said he will resign when a new government is formed and the rule of law is restored.

Meanwhile, the president has declared a state of emergency, following violence and clashes with police following Friday’s protests.

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Fighting erupted between groups supporting rival politicians seeking to become the country’s new prime minister.

More than 1,200 people have been injured and one killed in street clashes since protests erupted. Police reportedly used water cannons, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse protesters.

Now, curfews and strict military sanctions have been imposed, including controls over who can travel in and out of the capital.

A landlocked country bordering China, it was part of the Soviet Union until independence in 1991. It has a reputation for holding semi-free and fair elections compared to some of its neighbors, but uprisings in 2005 and 2010 ousted previous presidents. .

Kyrgyzstan’s ally Russia is concerned about the recent political instability, which has played a role in mediating the recent crisis in other post-Soviet states, including Belarus.

How and why was Atambayav re-arrested?

A spokesman for Mr Atambayev told the AFP news agency that “special forces attacked his compound” on Saturday.

The State Security Service said it had detained Mr Atambayav on charges of inciting unrest. Former President Mr. Jinbikov is one of his fiercest political enemies.

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Supporters of Mr Atambayev were released from his jail on Tuesday where he was serving a lengthy sentence on corruption charges.

What is the cause of the unrest and what do the protesters want?

The disputed parliamentary election sparked a violent uprising this week as protesters refused to accept the result. The Central Election Commission later quashed the results.

The clashes created a power vacuum and people stormed government offices and installed their own leaders.

Former Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov resigned on Wednesday.

In an extraordinary session of parliament on Saturday, Mr Boronov was replaced by Mr Zaparov, who was backed by nationalists.

Mr Zaparov, seen by opposition groups as an ally of the president, told lawmakers he would keep the cabinet line-up intact.

It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. Each group wants its own leader to come to power.

Earlier, President Jinbekov fired high-ranking security officials who failed to intervene while supporting the opposition or seizing power.

What can we learn about elections?

The parliamentary vote was held last Sunday. Only four of the 16 political parties won enough votes to win seats in parliament – three of the four had close ties to Mr Jinbekov.

None of the established opposition parties won the meeting, and on Monday all opposition groups jointly announced that they would not recognize the results.

They accused the parties of buying votes and intimidating voters close to the president. Some observers claimed to have noticed that, during the first hours of voting, some citizens were filled with marked masks.

Voters were bribed and there were also allegations of being surrounded in places where they could accept the result.