Tekebaev Repeats Criticizm Against President’s Reforms

Unfortunately it doesn’t say which newspaper the article was published in:

Omurbek Tekebaev Criticizes Recent Changes in Kyrgyz State Structure

Usually the most sophisticated analyses of the political situation in Kyrgyzstan are provided by the leading members of the Socialist Party ‘Ata-Meken’ (Fatherland). Not long ago I posted an article from Vice- Chairman Alymbekov, in which the former Vice Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh discusses the advantages of democracy and disadvantages of authoritarianism using an approach that borrows some of its terms from systems theory.

This time the leader of Ata-Meken, Omurbek Tekebaev, steps forward with a trenchant critic of Kyrgyz president Bakiev’s plans to reform the government and most of the state apparatus. His analysis first sheds light on trends in Kyrgyzstan’s history of independence before deconstructing the myth behind the slogan of progressiveness and reform in Bakiev’s actions. Tekebaev points out the meaning behind some special changes. He highlights the role of the new ‘Central Agency’ that will take over management of all financial resources and that will be responsible for forming the budget without being subject to any further (public) control. He also directs attention to the new ‘Development Fund’, which will be headed by former Prime Minister Igor Chudinov and supervised by former State Channel Director Melis Eshimkanov. This fund will be the new gate for all foreign money to enter into Kyrgyzstan and like the activities of the Central Agency, it will not be subject to any control. Such fact alone should make all donors stop sending (useless) development aid to Kyrgyzstan.

Tekebaev’s comment did not remain unheard in Kyrgyzstan. Though published only at www.centrasia.ru and at the website of the Social Democratic Party, the Genprokurator found out about it and now considers an investigation against this ‘last opponent’ for alleged defamation of the president. This reaction by the law enforcement agencies was answered by the head of the Human Rights organization ‘Kylym Shamy’, Aziza Abdirasulova, who issued a press release, condemning the actions of the Genprokuratura and supporting Tekebaev’s right to freedom of expression.

Tekebaev’s article starts as follows:

To download the full article as pdf follow the link: Report_OmurbekTekebaev

The Statement from ‘Kylym Shamy’ reads as follows:

Attacked Kyrgyz Journalist Kubanych Zholdoshev Repudiates MVD Report

Kubanych Zholdoshev, head of the net of correspondents of the Osh city newspaper ‘Osh shamy’, was beaten up at the beginning of November this year. The police that filed a report about this incident spread false information according to a recent press release from Zholdoshev. The MVD employees described the journalist as being drunk, did not mention their authoritarian attitude towards the journalist and his drive and forgot to report that the criminals who had beaten up Zholdoshev stole money from him and threatened him to cut his tongue out.

Such misinformation forced Zholdoshev to release a written statement repudiating the MVD report. Here is a photocopy of the statement and a typed version of it:

A Little Bit of History Repeating?

Yesterday the E-mail List of the Youth Association Kel-Kel sent out a short press release issued by the Kyrgyz Human Rights watchdog ‘Kylym Shamy’. In it the organization informs about an incident that occurred at Moscow airport. Human Rights activist Aziza Abdirasulova, head of ‘Kylym Shamy’ was arrested at the airport after border guards found a bullet in her hand luggage. The circumstances of this alleged discovery are more than suspicious as becomes clear from the press release. Abdirasulova, who recently became more public by openly criticizing the government and president Bakiev for false elections in July, was not allowed to witness the search of her luggage, ordered to step away, while the Russian officials several times went through her things. Only in the end, after scanning the bag again and again, they somehow ‘found’ the mysterious bullet.

‘Kylym Shamy’ calls this incident a provocation and rightly asks, how Abdirasulova could leave Warsaw airport, if the bullet was already in her bag? The statement ends with the conclusion that this case poses more questions than is providing answers.

Youth-Network for the Prevention Of Human & Youth Rights Founded

Today a ‘Resolution’ was distributed through the KelKel E-Mail list. In it the members of a round-table for the presentation of a youth network of rights defenders welcome the official foundation of such a network and put forward its demands.

Latest developments give rise to concern about the future of the political system in Kyrgyzstan. The young activists are especially concerned about the recent presidential elections, where incumbent Kurmanbek Bakiev used administrative resources to secure a landslide victory against his competitors. According to the statement the situation is even more alarming in regard to the protection of fundamental rights like the right to assembly and the right of freedom of expression.

To improve the situation the network demands the reform of the current legislation on the right of assembly (1), the appointment of representatives of the network into the Coordinating Council on Youth Affairs with the president of the Kyrgyz Republic (2), the introduction of reforms into the election code of the Kyrgyz Republic (3), and the immediate ending of any use of state organs for the persecution and repression of NGOs and Youth Associations.

The ‘Resolution’ impresses with its clear and unpretentious style, the short but trenchant analysis of the situation,  and the unspectacular but exact list of demands. One can only hope that it will be heard by many young people in Kyrgyzstan and find followers among them.

To download the full text of the Resolution (pdf) please follow the link: Resolution