26 February 2000
FIRST ROUND RESULTS NEXT MONDAY ONLY.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced in Bishkek on 25 February that the results of the first round of parliamentary elections, held on 20 February, would be released on 28 February. According to the CEC, it receives a lot of appeals from both organizations and individuals and the special inspections are revising election results in several constituencies now. That is why, some results could be annulled and repeated elections could be held in some constituencies before the run-offs. The by-elections are set for 12 March.
Only three out of 90 deputies from single-mandate constituencies were defined in the first round elections. All of them ran without rivals: former communist leader of Kyrgyzstan Turdakun Usubaliev, elder brother of President Askar Akayev - Asankul Akayev and businessman Askarbek Shadiev.
230 candidates ran for 45 seats in the Lower House (the Legislative Assembly) and 186 candidates ran for other 45 seats in the Upper House (the People's Assembly). The additional 15 seats in the Legislative Assembly are allotted to political parties. The Party of Communists of Kyrgzstan and 5 pro-governmental parties and blocs will share those 15 seats. No opposition party with exception of communists was allowed to take part in the elections.
OPPOSITION POLITICIAN IS ACCUSED AGAIN.
Prominent Kyrgyz opposition politician Topchubek TurgunAliyev gave an interview to RFE/RL on 24 February. On February 25, the Asaba weekly carries an article by TurgunAliyev on the new accusations against him.
According to Turgunaliev, the Kyrgyz Ministry of National Security (MNS) opened a new criminal case against him last November. The investigation was completed last January and he has been acquainted with the 8 volumes of the case recently. According to the documents, he is accused of taking part in organizing a failed attempt upon President Askar Akayev's life.
12 people were arrested by the MNS in May 1999. MNS high official Vladimir Chursin told RFE/RL on 24 February, that some those detainees have already been released. According to him, a trial will begin when the left detainees will have finished to read the documents. Other officials of the MNS as well as of the presidential administration refused to comment the case on 24 and 25 February.
TurgunAliyev says the MNS began an investigation when a man named Yuldashev made a declaration on 29 April 1999, that an assassination of Akayev was being prepared. A group of young people with a small amount of arms was detained on 3 May 1999. All of them said during interrogations that Timur Stamkulov had organized them and forced them to prepare the attempt. According to Turgunaliev, the documents say that Stamkulov had become a MNS agent long before and his secret nickname was "Yuldashev" and the MNS opened a separate criminal case against Stamkulov on 17 May 1999.
TurgunAliyev says that accusations against him are based only on evidences given by Stamkulov. According to Stamkulov, TurgunAliyev was one of the organizers of the attempt and had several warlords reported to him. However, during a confrontation Stamkulov said that he never saw TurgunAliyev organizing the attempt neither saw any weapon in hands of Turgunaliev, and an investigator of the MNS attended the confrontation. In spite of this, the MNS is preparing to try Turgunaliev.
Turgunaliev, former chairman of the opposition Erkin Kyrgyzstan party, was arrested in December 1996 on accusation of embezzlement, forgery and abuse of power, being a rector of the University of Humanities in Bishkek in 1994. A local court sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment in January 1997. The Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan changed the accusation in February and sentenced him to 4 years of serving in penal colony. Final accusation was an abuse of power only. TurgunAliyev began to serve his term in Bishkek late in February but the Interior Ministry moved him to the remote Leilek district, on the border with Tajikistan, in March 1997. After number of protest letters from human rights organizations both of Kyrgyzstan and from abroad (London based Amnesty International named him a Prisoner of Conscience), he was allowed to return to Bishkek on 17 November 1997, having spent more than 8 months in prison.
Before this, he was accused of insulting President Askar Akayev during the presidential campaign in December 1995 and was arrested on 22 December 1995. He was sentenced to 18 months of suspended imprisonment in April 1996.
CIS OFFICIAL IN KYRGYZSTAN.
According to the governmental press service, Secretary of the CIS Collective Defense Council Alexander Zemsky visited Kyrgyzstan on 23 - 25 February. He had meetings with Foreign Minister Muratbek Imanaliev, Defense Minister Esen Topoev and Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Askarbek Mameev. Security issues of Central Asia in general and situation along the Tajik-Kyrgyz state border particularly were discussed.
Secretaries of the CIS security councils will meet in Dushanbe in April and a session of the CIS Collective Defense Council will be held in Minsk in May.
SOME ECONOMIC FIGURES.
Finance Minister Sultan Mederov announced in Bishkek on 25 February that the inflation rate in January 2000 was 1.9 percent and the som, Kyrgyz currency, devaluated by 2.9 percent in January. Also, average prices rose by 1.4 percent but the meet price rose by 7.7 percent and prices for diary produce and eggs rose by 5.5 percent in January.
Compared with January 1999, the industrial output fell by 15.9 percent; gross domestic product decreased by 2.5 percent, import turnout fell by 56 percent and export fell by 29 percent in January 2000.
PICKET IN BISHKEK.
About 100 people picketed the government building in Bishkek today. On behalf of about 600 depositors of the commercial Bishkek Bank, they demanded compensations for their lost savings, totaling about $735,000. Finance Minister Sultan Mederov and Chairman of the National Bank Ulan Sarbanov met with the protesters promising to help them. However, demonstrators have announced they would organize a new picket on 28 February.
The National Bank announced in Bishkek on 9 February that activity of the Bishkek Bank was suspended due to violation of some financial rules and bad quality of its loaning policy. It was announced that savings of about 220 million soms (about $4.7 million) belonged to about 11,000 depositors of the bank would be transferred to the other commercial bank, the Kairat Bank.
NEW APPOINTMENTS.
According to the presidential press service, President Askar Akayev has appointed Kamil Bayalinov adviser to the president on public relations. Bayalinov has been Kyrgyz ambassador to Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Israel and based in Vienna before.
Also, President Akayev signed a special decree giving Bakyt Beshimov a rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. Beshimov was appointed Kyrgyz ambassador to India on 18 February. He had been Member of Parliament and one of the leaders of the opposition El (Bei-Bechara) Party before.
BY-ELECTIONS ON 12 MARCH.
The Central Election Commission announced in Bishkek on 24 February that by-elections would be held on 12 March. Only 3 independent candidates won in the first round of the parliamentary elections held on 20 February. 87 other deputies will be defined in the run-offs in the single mandate constituencies. There are 105 seats in the by-cameral parliament (60 plus 45). 15 seats in the Lower House (the Legislative Assembly) are allotted to political parties.
SIX PARTIES IN PARLIAMENT, NOT FIVE.
The Central Election Commission said on 24 February that the Party of My Country has also overcome the 5-percent threshold according to the last count of votes. However, counting is continuing. Now, the six political organizations will be represented in parliament: 1. The Party of Communists, which collected about 27 percent of votes, 2. The bloc Union of Democratic Forces - about 19 percent, 3. The Women Democratic Party - about 13 percent, 4. The Party of War Veterans - about 8 percent, 5. The Ata-Meken Party - about 7 percent, 6. The Party of My Country - about 5 percent.
CRITICISM OF THE ELECTIONS.
Independent candidate Marat Kaiypov, who barred from the elections one day before the poll, told RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 24 Feburary that only 13,530 voters cast their ballots in the Suzak (# 9) constituency on 20 February. 13,000 voters did not come to the poll stations and about 500 voters took ballots home without casting. According to Kaiypov, the voters protested this way against excluding him from the elections at last moment.
After the recommendation of the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan, the Suzak district election commission decided in the morning of 19 February to allow Kaiypov to take part in the elections, but afternoon the same day, the commission revoked its own decision. No explanations were given.
Former MP, Ambassador Tursunbai Bakir Uulu announced in Bishkek today that he and other 4 candidates, who ran for parliament from the Kara-Suu (# 30) constituency, have appealed to the Prosecutor General, the security and interior ministries on violations during the poll. Bakir Uulu did not overcome the first round. According to him, businesswoman Aizada Manasova, who won in Kara-Suu in the first round, simply bought the votes of voters.
OPPOSITION CANDIDATE IS ABLE TO MEET HIS VOTERS.
Ishenbai Kadyrbekov, member of the old parliament, told RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 24 February that the Constitutional Court has accepted his appeal and now, he has the right to leave capital city of Bishkek and go to Naryn region to meet his voters. During the election campaign he could not leave Bishkek and overcame the first round in the remote At-Bashy (# 21) constituency in absence.
Kadyrbekov was accused of making physical injuries to other parliamentarian Tokon Shailieva during a parliamentary session in 1998. Early in January, a trial against him began and Kadyrbekov had to go hospital giving authorities a commitment not to leave Bishkek. Several members of parliament told the court as witnesses at testimony that Shailieva herself attacked Kadyrbekov and Kadyrbekov defended himself only.
PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FORMED.
Eleven opposition candidates, who overcame the first round, held a news conference in Bishkek on 24 February. They announced at it that they would form a parliamentary group "The People's Deputy" if win in the second round.
According to them, the Kyrgyz authorities had made unprecedented pressure to voters during the campaign trying to make sure that only pro-governmental candidates would win the parliamentary seats. However, a lot of opposition candidates got through the first round and they thank the honest voters, independent media, NGOs and both local and foreign observers for it. The group released today a statement saying that there would be much more pressure to voters before and during the second round and voters should be ready for it.
The statement is signed by Felix Kulov, Daniyar Usenov, Ishenbai Kadyrbekov, Alevtina Pronenko, Adakham Madumarov, Dooronbek Sadyrbaev, Omurbek Subanaliev, Omurbek Tekebaev, Dosbol Nur Uulu, Ismail Isakov and Iskhak Masaliev.
MONITORING OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN REGIONS.
The Internews Network and the Independent Fund for Election Systems (IFES) published in Bishkek on 24 February their report on TV monitoring in the regions on the eve of the parliamentary elections. It covers the week of 2 February. According to their results, "no opposition political parties were mentioned in the news on the regional stations in the first two weeks".
PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS FOR 80 PERCENT OF SEATS.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced in Bishkek on 23 February that run-off elections would be held for 87 out of 105 seats in Kyrgyz parliament. 15 seats are allotted to political parties and only 3 deputies won in the single-mandate constituencies during the first round held on 20 February.
However, CEC official Tynybek MomunAliyev announced in Bishkek on 23 February that it is not clear yet who exactly would take part in the run-offs. According to him, the CEC receives a lot of appeals from individuals as well as organizations and some candidates who has already been announced getting through the first round could be excluded from by-election.
ELECTION BALLOTS IN TALAS COULD HAVE BEEN FORGED.
Head of the election campaign team of the opposition Ar-Namys Party Emil Aliyev told RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 23 February that the party has evidences that about 8,500 ballots, cast for party chairman Felix Kulov in the Kara-Buura (# 44) constituency of Talas province, had been forged. The party has copies of protocols of the local election commissions, but the same protocols received by the Central Election Commission, are different. The party will appeal to the CEC officially on 24 February.
Also, according to Aliev, several law enforcement ministers as well as the secretary of the Security Council are going to go to Talas province soon intending to campaign against Kulov in the second round.
However, Felix Kulov told RFE/RL today by phone from Bishkek that he hopes the run-offs would be held lawfully and fair. According to the CEC, the by-elections could be held on 12 March.
FIFTEEN PARLIAMENTARY SEATS TO FIVE PARTIES.
The Central Election Commission announced in Bishkek on 23 February that the Party of Communists would receive 5 seats in the Legislative Assembly (lower house) of the parliament. The pro-governmental Union of Democratic Forces will receive 4 seats, the Women Democratic Party - 3 seats, the Party of Afghan War Veterans - 2 seats and the Ata-Meken Party - one seat in the Assembly.
The communists collected 27.7 percent of votes, the bloc - 18.63 percent, the women party - 12.64 percent, the veterans - 8.06 percent, and the Ata-Meken - 6.50 percent.
SHANGHAI-FIVE MEETING IN CHINA.
According to the governmental press service, a delegation led by Salamat Alamanov departed on 23 February to China to take part in a meeting on state borders. Representatives of the so called Shanghai-Five countries, China, Kazkahstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, are taking part in it. A final agreement on demarcation of the state borderlines between China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is expected to be signed.
First agreement on security along the state frontiers between the 5 states was signed in Shanghai in April 1996. Alamanov is a department head in Kyrgyz government.
PRESIDENT RECEIVES WAR VETERANS.
President Askar Akayev received in Bishkek on 23 February a group of World War Two veterans, led by General Kaluinur Usenbekov. According to the presidential press service, all the visiting veterans have received presidential presents. As continuation of a soviet tradition, 23 February is marked in Kyrgyzstan as a day of army.
BATKEN VILLAGE BECOMES A TOWN.
According to the presidential press service, President Askar Akayev has signed a special decree granting Batken, a center of the newly formed Batken province, a status of town. According to the decree, one of the biggest towns of the Batken province, Sueluektue, is excluded from the Leilek district and is subordinated to Batken directly.
President Akayev formed the Batken province, the seventh region of the country, last October during a rebel crisis in southern Kyrgyzstan. Several hundred religious rebels, most of them ethnic Uzbeks, invaded of Kyrgyzstan from neighboring Tajikistan last August demanding free pass to Uzbekistan to fight President Karimov's regime. They took hostage about 25 people and 27 Kyrgyz citizens were killed in August-October until the most hostages were released late in October and the rebels left Kyrgyzstan back for Tajikistan.
It is believed in Kyrgyzstan that formation of a new province has strengthened security in the south.
GOVERNMENTAL MEETING.
Prime Minister Amangeldi MurAliyev held a special governmental meeting in Bishkek on 23 February. According to the governmental press service, Deputy Minister of Emergencies General Almazbek Kamchybekov reported on activity of the ministry. He said that there were about 150 emergency situations in the country last year and 26 people died during them. Also, according to Kamchybekov, the ministry itself should be reformed and local authorities must pay more attention to preventing calamities.
ROUND TABLE ON CIVIC ACCORD.
National Commission on UNESCO affairs in Kyrgyzstan will held a round table discussion in Bishkek on 24 February. Main theme of it is "Civic Accord and Peace in Kyrgyzstan". Politicians, state officials, scholars, clerics will take part in the discussion. Also, according the commission, the UN "Manifesto-2000" would be signed during the meeting.
PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS FOR 80 PERCENT OF SEATS.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced in Bishkek on 23 February that run-off elections would be held for 87 out of 105 seats in Kyrgyz parliament. 15 seats are allotted to political parties and only 3 deputies won in the single-mandate constituencies during the first round held on 20 February.
However, CEC official Tynybek MomunAliyev announced in Bishkek on 23 February that it is not clear yet who exactly would take part in the run-offs. According to him, the CEC receives a lot of appeals from individuals as well as organizations and some candidates who has already been announced getting through the first round could be excluded from by-election.
ELECTION BALLOTS IN TALAS COULD HAVE BEEN FORGED.
Head of the election campaign team of the opposition Ar-Namys Party Emil Aliyev told RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 23 February that the party has evidences that about 8,500 ballots, cast for party chairman Felix Kulov in the Kara-Buura (# 44) constituency of Talas province, had been forged. The party has copies of protocols of the local election commissions, but the same protocols received by the Central Election Commission, are different. The party will appeal to the CEC officially on 24 February.
Also, according to Aliev, several law enforcement ministers as well as the secretary of the Security Council are going to go to Talas province soon intending to campaign against Kulov in the second round.
However, Felix Kulov told RFE/RL on 23 February by phone from Bishkek that he hopes the run-offs would be held lawfully and fair. According to the CEC, the by-elections could be held on 12 March.
FIFTEEN PARLIAMENTARY SEATS TO FIVE PARTIES.
The Central Election Commission announced in Bishkek on 23 February that the Party of Communists would receive 5 seats in the Legislative Assembly (lower house) of the parliament. The pro-governmental Union of Democratic Forces will receive 4 seats, the Women Democratic Party - 3 seats, the Party of Afghan War Veterans - 2 seats and the Ata-Meken Party - one seat in the Assembly.
The communists collected 27.7 percent of votes, the bloc - 18.63 percent, the women party - 12.64 percent, the veterans - 8.06 percent, and the Ata-Meken - 6.50 percent.