Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz President Says Democracy Needs More Time

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev (file photo) (RFE/RL)

March 23, 2006 -- Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev today defended his first year in office, saying more time is needed for democracy to flourish in Kyrgyzstan.

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March 23, 2006

Speaking on the eve of the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled then-President Askar Akaev, Bakiev acknowledged that Kyrgyzstan still faces problems with organized crime and endemic corruption, but said these are problems difficult to eradicate quickly.

Bakiev said he remains committed to implementing constitutional reform, but argued that the process should be gradual to give people time to adjust.

(ITAR-TASS, AP)

The Tulip Revolution

ONE YEAR AGO: Click on the image to view RFE/RL's archive of coverage of Kyrgyzstan's Tulip Revolution from the beginning, including biographical sketches of the key players and photo galleries of the demonstrations.

See RFE/RL's special review of the March 2005 Kyrgyz events:

Questions Remain About March 24 'Revolution' (Part I)

Did Revolution Sow The Seeds Of Democracy? (Part II)

Was 'Revolution' A Worthy Successor To Rose And Orange? (Part III)

THE COMPLETE KYRGYZSTAN: To view an archive of all of RFE/RL's coverage of Kyrgyzstan, click here.

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