One of Russia’s closest allies is in crisis, with thousands of people taking to the streets

A statement from Sooronbay Zejbekbek’s office said the president “is in control of the situation and believes that all political forces will put the interests of the country above his own.”

Zejbekbek also announced that last night an attempt had been made to seize power in the country.

“Last night, some political forces tried to illegally seize state power. Using the election results as a pretext, they violated public order, “the statement said.

According to the president, he ordered the force structures not to shed blood.

Zejbekbekov urged the leaders of the protests to abide by the law and the people of the country not to give in to provocations.

“I suggested to the Central Electoral Commission that it thoroughly investigate the violations and, if necessary, annul the election results. I call on the leaders of the political parties to reassure their followers and remove them from the rally. I urge all my compatriots to keep the peace and not give in to the calls of provocative forces. The peace of our country and the security of our society are paramount. I urge all efforts to elevate the destiny of the country above political ambitions and return to the realm of legal measures, “the statement said.

The opposition calls for his resignation

At the time, the Kyrgyz opposition said on Tuesday that it would seek the removal of President Zejbekbekov.

“We intend to push for the removal of Sooronbay Zejbekbek,” Maksat Mamytkanov, spokesman for the nationalist opposition party Chon Kazat (the Long March), told Interfax.

According to him, the opposition will also demand the adoption of a new constitution.

“Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary elections must be held again, but only after the approval of a new constitution. The current Central Election Commission should also be removed, we do not trust it,” Mamytkanov said.

A spokesman for the other opposition party, Mechnil (Patriot), said the opposition was nominating former MP Sadyr Zhaparov for the post of prime minister.

“The opposition wants to see Sadyr Zaparov as prime minister,” he said.

Zaparov’s supporters are currently occupying the Kyrgyz government building and are not allowing their staff to enter.

Earlier, protesters released Zaparov from a colony where an opposition leader was being held for taking hostages.

The government, in turn, declared that it operated under a special regime.

“The government calls on all participants in the political process to resolve problems peacefully. All issues must be resolved legally to ensure the well-being and security of our people, the prosperity of the country,” announced the Cabinet of Ministers.

Popular government

The clashes in Bishkek began on Monday with the announcement of the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections, which several opposition parties refused to acknowledge due to the alleged purchase of votes. The protesters who took to the streets demanded a new vote.

One person was killed and 590 others injured in the protests, the country’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday. According to Interfax, a man between the ages of 30 and 35 died who died of a severe brain injury.

The security forces used special means, including incendiary grenades and a water cannon, to disperse protesters trying to break through the doors of the building that houses the parliament and the presidency of this former Soviet republic.

At night, protesters stormed the National Security Committee building and released former President Almazbek Atambayev. According to local media, former Prime Ministers Sapar Isakov and Zantor Satybaldiev and several opposition leaders were also released.

Zejbekbekov will meet with the leaders of the political parties that participated in the parliamentary elections on Tuesday.

The parties that lost the elections at the time intend to form a “people’s government” and elect a new prime minister, Zhanar Akayev, leader of the opposition Ata-Meken (Homeland) party, said at the rally.

A source in the security services informed Interfax that the opposition had appointed a new head of the National Security Committee.

Earlier it was reported that “friends of the people” were being formed in the capital and there were no militias to be seen in the city.

The protesters have also appointed a new head of the capital, representatives of the Bishkek municipality told Interfax on Tuesday.

“The mayor of Bishkek was occupied by about 30 supporters of opposition parties. They have not made any demands on the current government,” Gulia Almambetova, an adviser to mayor Aziz Surakmatov, told the news agency.

At the municipal building, the protesters delivered a press release to an Interfax correspondent, declaring that Zhoshbek Koyalyev had become the “mayor of the town”.

The Kyrgyz opposition has established a Coordination Council

Six Kyrgyz opposition parties established a Coordination Council on Tuesday, said Kunduz Zoldubayeva, a spokesman for the Kyrgyz Social Democratic Party (KSDP), founded by former President Almazbek Atambayev.

“The Coordination Council was formed by the KSDP, the Republic, Ata-Meken (Homeland), Butun Kırgızstan (United Kyrgyzstan), Bir Bol (Unite) and Zamandaš (Contemporary)., Žoldubajeva told reporters.

According to her, the council members will discuss the political crisis in the country after the disputed parliamentary elections on Tuesday during a press conference.

Disagreements over Russia

As announced before the election, of the 16 rival parties, two will almost certainly win seats in the 120-member parliament.

The Birimdik (Unity) party considers itself loyal to President Sooronbay Zejbekbek, and its candidates include the president’s brother and former president Asylbek Zejbekbek.

The party’s main rival is Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (My Homeland Kyrgyzstan), an influential Matraimov family whose former customs official, Rajimbek Matraimov, was targeted by anti-corruption protesters last year.

Both sides advocate further integration with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union bloc, which has benefited hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia when Kyrgyzstan joined the bloc in 2015.

However, Marim Amankulov, chairman of the Birimdik party, sparked a wave of outrage by announcing comments last year that “it is time to return” to the embrace of Moscow.

Opponents accused him of underestimating the independence of Kyrgyzstan.

September 28 During a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Zejbekbekov warned of “forces” seeking “to forge a wedge in [Kirgizijos ir Rusijos] alliance “, probably in view of the demonstration of the supporters of the sovereignty held in the capital, Bishkek, last Sunday by the comments of Amankulov.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the attorney general’s office said it was investigating a video distributed via informational devices that showed two secretly filmed students from a famous university in a hotel room. The record was probably intended to show that opposition parties support homosexuality, which is strongly condemned in a country of conservative views.

The opposition parties said it was an attempt to blackmail them before the elections.

The attorney general is also investigating allegations that a party bribed voters to vote by offering coal.

Political drama

The revolutions that toppled two authoritarian presidents in Kyrgyzstan in just five years were seen in 2010 as the driving force behind the adoption of a new constitution to curb the authoritarian regime and stop political struggles.

Election laws require that no party in a 120-member parliament have more than 65 seats.

The president is elected to a six-year term, a move that is very different from trends in neighboring China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Zejbekbekov awaits a cooperative parliament, planning for his future after the end of the 2023 term. His own predecessor and former protégé, Almazbek Atambayev, is currently in detention.

Tensions between the two politicians escalated after Zejbekbek’s victory in the 2017 elections, reaching a peak last year when a shootout broke out between the former president’s armed supporters and state security forces trying to arrest him.

A. Atambayev was arrested for the illegal release of a criminal leader from prison. In June, the politician was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

He is also accused of killing a special forces officer killed in a raid.