The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan resigned after a bloody coup. Now the country is on the brink of a violent revolution.

– It has reached a point where it may be difficult to find a peaceful solution, says Emilbek Yoroev.

It simmers in Vladimir Putin’s backyard. In recent months, more and more residents of former Soviet states have taken to the streets or taken up arms. Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia and now Kyrgyzstan.

The country is located in the middle of a region surrounded by dictatorial states and war zones. Yet Kyrgyzstan has long been known as a garden of peace in a sea of ​​chaos.

That changed abruptly this week.

Serious electoral fraud

The capital Bishkek is on fire for the sixth day in a row.

Sunday was Election Day in the Central Asian country. Two parties with close ties to President Sooronbaj Jeenbekov were victorious when the votes were counted, with 24 percent support each. Thus, several opposition parties were expelled.

The result was not well received by the inhabitants of the country. On Election Day, there were serious allegations of electoral fraud. The claim was that the two winning parties paid residents to vote for them.

The price of a vote should have been 10 dollars, equivalent to 100 crowns, it is speculated on social networks. The nominating committee canceled the result and plans to be re-elected next month.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) supervised the elections. They conclude that it was generally carried out well, as candidates were free to campaign freely, but believe that “credible allegations of vote buying raise serious concerns,” Human Rights Watch writes.

In Bishkek, concern has quickly turned into action. In recent days, tens of thousands have taken to the streets in protest.

From prison bird to the top of government

On Tuesday, protesters managed to storm the parliament in the capital with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov. At least one person died and more than 500 were injured in clashes with the police.

Boronov has now resigned from power.

But the euphoria the coup brought with it has quickly turned to insecurity and panic. In the absence of a clear leadership figure, various groups have flocked to the annexed parliament, appointing mayors and ministers at random.

A group of rebels has appointed Sadyr Japarov as the new prime minister. He has had anything but a traditional path to leadership.

The day before he was voted on, he was in prison. The new prime minister has been there since 2013, after he was sentenced to 13 years for attempted kidnapping against another politician.

At the same time, another group of rebels voted for former president Almazbek Atambayev as the new leader. He was also released from prison by protesters. He ended up behind bars last year after being charged with coup conspiracy and murder.

Faith revolution

Kyrgyzstan has long had a reputation for being a peaceful country. However, this is far from the first time that unrest has occurred. This is the third time in 15 years that there has been a coup in the country.

There are several similarities between them.

After the tulip revolution in 2005, rebel groups and looters ravaged the streets. The April 2010 Revolution had the same consequences, in addition to ethnic clashes. Both revolutions sent sitting presidents out the door.

So what consequences can it have this time?

More chaotic than before

– This revolution is probably more chaotic than the first two, since there are many more political groups around the leg, says Ivar Dale in the Helsinki Committee.

– There are many more groups that intersect, so there is great disagreement in the country about who has taken power.

Dale himself has lived in the capital Bishkek. He wasn’t surprised when the riots broke out, but:

– It was surprising that they managed so quickly to seize power. Everyone knew that there would be large demonstrations when electoral fraud was so obvious. The Kyrgyz people are known to be a people who do not allow themselves to be pissed off.

When riots first broke out, the president withdrew. The power vacuum it left provided fertile ground for factions now debating who will have power.

– In the current situation, ordinary people in Kyrgyzstan cannot say who has authority in the country. The fear now is that it could provoke clashes between the different groups, explains Dale.

On Friday, President Jeenbekov returned with an iron fist.

He has declared a state of emergency in the country and the military forces occupied the capital on Friday night. A few hours earlier, several protesters belonging to their respective parties met in the capital.

There was a dramatic turnaround when someone tried to shoot former President Atambayev. Videos on social media allegedly show that one of his guards was shot.

State of emergency and violence

Neighboring Russia calls the situation “chaotic” and calls on the country to find a peaceful solution. The superpower has not said whether or not it wants to break in, but Putin’s spokesman confirms that they have been in contact with the country’s authorities.

The next few days will be critical to determine whether the parties reach an agreement or not.

Aftenposten has spoken with Emilbek Yoroev, who lives in Bishkek with his family. You are worried about what will happen next.

– It’s been very tense this week, and now it’s only getting worse, he says.

Jokhorev says that the inhabitants are very divided and it is difficult to know which party has the majority on their side. He fears that the current disagreements will lead to more violence.

– You have reached a point where it may be difficult to find a peaceful solution. Now it’s just a matter of which side is the strongest.