Uprising in Kyrgyzstan 2005

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Uprising in Kyrgyzstan2005
Andrew E. Fitzpatrick fitzpaae_at_uwec.edu
Geography 308 (Russia and Eastern Europe)
Professor Zoltan Grossman University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire Spring 2005
Map http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
maps/kg-map.gif Flags http//www.cia.gov/cia/pub
lications/factbook/flags/kg-lgflag.gif
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Askar Akayev

• Elected President of Kyrgyzstan shortly after
  gaining independence in 1991
  
• Initially viewed by West as a democrat

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http//www.numismondo.com/pm/kgz/akayev.gif
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Askar Akayev

• Re-elected in 1995
• Begins consolidating power of president while
  decreasing power of legislature in capital of
  Bishkek

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argets/images/pho/000fb/000fb715.jsm
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• Elected to a third term in 2000
• Many international observers report the elections
  flawed

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/_40871561_vote-ap-203x300.jpg
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Opposition

• As Akayev moved further from democratization,
  opposition to his governance arose
  
• The Kyrgyz opposition is a bloc of political
  parties, civil society groups, and human rights
  organizations focusing on economic stagnation and
  regional and economic exclusion
• General agreement among opposition groups that
  economic reform is needed
  
• Disagreement about specific reform tactics
• Also differing opinions on favoring West vs.
  favoring Russia

http//www.un.org/av/photo/ga/images/45024.jpg
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Parliamentary elections, Round OneFebruary 2005

• Several independent and opposition party
  candidates are barred from running, sparking
  protests

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Parliamentary elections, Round TwoMarch 2005

• Protests increase in intensity
• Demonstrations spread from south to Bishkek in
  the north

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nm/20050323/mdf905291.jpg Bottom Photo http//us
.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20050322/capt.sg
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Akayev overthrown

• Protesters take over official buildings, Akayev
  flees country

http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4409
519.stm
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Kurmanbek Bakiev

• Akayev officially resigns April 4, 2005
• Kurmanbek Bakiev, an opposition leader and former
  Prime Minister, is confirmed by the newly elected
  parliament as President

http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4397409.st
m
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Presidential elections set for June 26, 2005

• Kurmanbek Bakiev will remain President in the
  meantime
  
• Who will Kyrgyzstan elect as the next President?

http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4443361.stm
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Opposition Leaders

• Bakiev and Felix Kulov, both opposition leaders,
  are running in the June election

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http//medias.lemonde.fr/mmpub/edt/ill/2005/03/25/
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Divisions

• There are already signs of division between these
  two opposition leaders
  
• Kulov quickly resigned the Head of Security
  position Bakiev gave him after Akayev fled

http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4409
519.stm
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Geographical Differences

• Kurmanbek Bakiev
• Felix Kulov

Jalal-Abad
http//medias.lemonde.fr/mmpub/edt/ill/2005/03/25/
v_7_ill_631796_bakiev.jpg
Bishkek
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http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/maps/
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Bishkek Felix Kulov
http//www.bishkek.com/images/victorysquare.jpg
http//img.aktuell.ru/rupol0010/images/Kulov_Felix
-177.jpg

• Kyrgyzstans political power concentrated here
• Kyrgyzstans main economic center more economic
  opportunities

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Bishkek Felix Kulov
http//www.bishkek.com/images/victorysquare.jpg
http//img.aktuell.ru/rupol0010/images/Kulov_Felix
-177.jpg

• More closely integrated with Kazakhstan (than the
  south)
  
• Bishkek is only a 4-hour drive from Almaty, the
  largest city in Kazakhstan

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Jalal-Abad Kurmanbek Bakiev
http//www.dellavalle.net/Kirgis3.html
http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4397409.st
m

• Poorer part of Kyrgyzstan, more traditional
  society
  
• Near the multi-ethnic Ferghana Valley in the
  south
  
• Often feel their concerns are overlooked in
  Bishkek

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Jalal-Abad Kurmanbek Bakiev
http//www.dellavalle.net/Kirgis3.html
http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4397409.st
m

• Practice of Islam more pervasive than in north
• More oriented (in terms of location and culture)
  to Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and other
  Muslim countries to the south
  
• 10-hour drive from nearby Osh to Bishkek

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Photo http//www.seracfilms.com/Imagesaddeddate/S
cannedSep22/pkpobieda.jpg Flags http//www.cia.g
ov/cia/publications/factbook/flags/kg-lgflag.gif

• Mountains create distance between North and
  South, even though the distance appears short on
  maps

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Foreign Interests

• Kyrgyzstan may seem like just a small, central
  Asian country, but the world is watching the
  uprising unfold
  
• The increasingly globalized international system
  has interests in a stable Kyrgyzstan

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gyzstan_jeti-oguz.jpg
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United States

• Kyrgyzstan offered Manas air base near Bishkek to
  the U.S. after 9/11 (with Russian approval) for
  the Afghan war
  
• Tended to side with opposition

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stm
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Russia

• Doesnt want to lose influence in a country it
  sees as within its sphere of influence
  
• Set up air base less than 25 miles from U.S. air
  base
  
• Tended to side with Akayev gave him sanctuary
  following uprising
  

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China

• Also has interests in Kyrgyzstan Xinjiang
  (Muslim province) borders eastern Kyrgyzstan
  
• Hopes for a stable Kyrgyzstan to help prevent
  spread of Islamic extremism and growth of drug
  smuggling from nearby Afghanistan
  
• Mistrustful of Russian and U.S. bases on its
  borders

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• Key to June elections is to give all Kyrgyz
  citizens, North and South, an equal say in
  government
  
• Cooperation could transcend the geographical
  division between North and South

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eographic.com/wildworld/images/profiles/terrestria
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Bibliography

• Library of Congress Country Study
• http//lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy_at_f
  ield(DOCIDkg0023)
  
• EurasiaNet Human Rights Kyrgyzstan Organized
  Opposition and Civil Unrest
  
• http//www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/arti
  cles/eav121602.shtml
  
• BBC News Timeline Kyrgyzstan
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/coun
  try_profiles/1296570.stm
  
• BBC News Profile Askar Akayev
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4371
  819.stm
  
• BBC News Kyrgyzstan faces post-Akayev future
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4409
  519.stm
  
• BBC News QA Kyrgyzstan protests
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4379
  775.stm
  

Flags http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factboo
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