Askar Akaev becoming political hermit

Tragic events in the south of Kirghizia have made the citizens review their position on forming power bodies. All the more that, according to Askar Akaev, that were local authorities and high-ranked functionaries who are guilty of the people’s death. In extreme circumstances, they did not managed to consider the situation, refused from the dialogue with people and put force methods above democratic norms. Actually, that fact that methods like that are impossible is the reason why all guilty functionaries independently on ranks were punished. After having said this at the sitting of the Security Council, which for the first time was fully translated by TV, Askar Akaev accentuated a new vector in the domestic policy of the country – full openness. The President proposed to form power bodies on a new base. For example, he proposed to consult with political parties, movements, and non-governmental organizations while appointing ministers of the cabinet. Taking into account the opposition’s views will allow to systematically realize demands of people and uncover mercenary aims of that ones who still does not understand democratic values. And it is not by chance that just after the sitting, the intelligence’s workers who had not known about dangerous situation in the south of the republic, according to their chief Kalyk Imankulov, went to people to inform them about the situation in the country. This was a rather useful step, taking into account informational hunger in the country. The tragic lesson showed necessity of the full openness of the power’s activities. The high-ranked functionaries who were discharged also admit this, as well as that ones who were not discharged. They have to get it into their heads: nobody has right to such a mistake. “People being a source of state power can and must control the authorities, both through their elected representatives and directly. The success of the reforms finally depends on the will of the people and on the government’s activities in building a free society with free economy,” – four human rights organizations wrote in their address to the President. In the meanwhile, the sentence of the opposition deputy Azimbek Beknazarov aggravated political crisis in the country which seemed to have died out. This was reported by Ishembai Kadyrbekov, the leader of Kyrgyzstan parliament faction. All the more that convictions automatically deprives a deputy of his deputy cognizance. All this signifies that the opposition, to be more precize, regional and clan forces backing this opposition, do not want settling the conflict. They felt the President being weak and want to realize their advantage they got as a result of this weakness. According to Respublica opposition newspaper, the main demand of the opposition – Askar Akaev’s resignation. It cannot agree to the less. The complication of the situation in Kirghizia is that real figures stimulating disorders in the country are still in the shadow. It is very probable that Askar Akaev’s main enemies are in his closest surrounding. Within recent years, the President has really dispersed many independent young politicians and approached thoughtless toadies. Internal minister Timerbek Akmataliev, for example, who was discharged after the shooting in Kerben, was zootechnician by education. Though, thanks to Askar Akaev, he had been already governor, finance minister, and main policeman. Totally, within 10 years of Askar Akaev’s governing, 8 governments have taken turns. And now, the President has lost the support even in his closest surrounding. Real specialists do not flatly want to participate in this hopeless “roundabout.” This could be concluded already after the fist negotiations about principles of the new cabinet’s forming. In the list, the same candidacies are being shuffled who already caused the conflict between the President and his people.

Yury Razgulaev PRAVDA.Ru Bishkek Kirghizia

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/28/41823.html

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