Council for a Community of Democracies

Protests Mark Run-Up to ‘Tulip Revolution’ Anniversary
March 24, 2010
By: Benjamin Russell

Opposition groups led demonstrations in the Kyrgyzstani capital of Bishkek, this week, to protest the rule of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The demonstrations coincide with the five-year anniversary of the “Tulip Revolution” that brought Bakiyev to power, and are a reflection of widespread dissatisfaction with the president’s rule, according to Radio Free Europe.

Protestors were reportedly trying to deliver a list of demands to Bakiyev and a meeting of 750 government delegates before police intervened to break up the demonstration. The demonstrators were forced to disperse as they had not obtained official permission to hold a march.

Hopes that Bakiyev would fulfill the democratic ideals that fueled the 2005 revolution have thus far not come to fruition, as the president’s reign has been marred by allegations of nepotism and a struggling economy. "Protesters, opposition, people -- everyone was hoping for rapid changes, for reforms; we were hoping our living standards would improve," said Duishonkul Chotonov, who participated in the Tulip Revolution. "But those changes were not going to happen."

Government promises to bolster media protection have also been broken, according to a Radio Free Europe report. “Several independent newspapers recently have been suspended, two journalists were killed last year, and others have been beaten,” the report said.

At least one observer, though, sees progress in Kyrgyzstan’s struggle for democracy. "Many political parties have appeared. The opposition has entered the parliament. People are disappointed, of course, but we should not forget that the revolution was an important lesson for us,” said former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbaeva. To that end, the Radio Free Europe report notes that protests similar to those occurring in Kyrgyzstan would be unthinkable in most other countries in Central Asia.

Sources:

Radio Free Europe – Kyrgyz Find Little to Celebrate on ‘Tulip’ Anniversary

Radio Free Europe – Opposition Activists Clash with Police in Kyrgyzstan

For previous news on Kyrgyzstan, please see:
http://ccd21.org/news/asia/kyrgyzstan_united_opposition_formed.html