NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kyrgyz revolution of 2005

The Tulip Revolution refers to the overthrow of President Askar Akayevich Akayev (born 10 November 1944 in Kyzyl-Bairak, Kyrgyzstan) has been the President of Kyrgyzstan since it declared independence. Akayev was a non-political scientist and engineer until 1990, when he became President after elections in the Supreme Soviet. He was re-elected in 1991, and amid allegations... Askar Akayev and his government in the Central Asia is a region of Asia. Various definitions of its exact composition exist. Definitions Under one definition, Central Asia covers about 9,029,000 km2, or 21% of the continent. Under this definition Central Asia includes the following countries: China (the province of Qinghai, and the autonomous regions of... Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан) is a country in Central Asia. It borders China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Its capital is Bishkek (formerly Frunze.) National motto: none Official languages Kyrgyz, Russian Capital Bishkek President Askar Akayev Prime Minister Nikolay Tanayev Area - Total... Kyrgyzstan after the parliamentary elections of February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 307 days remaining, 308 in leap years. Events 1500-1899 1560 - The Treaty of Berhick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland 1594 - Henry IV is... February 27 and of March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). There are 293 days remaining. Events 483 - St. Felix becomes Pope. 874 - The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Apostles, Constantinople. 1138 - Cardinal Gregory is elected anti-pope... March 13, 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Events January Iraqi police officers hold up their index fingers marked with purple indelible ink, a security measure to prevent double voting. Worldwide aid effort continues to develop in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. January 3... 2005. The revolution sought the end of the rule of Akayev and his family and associates, who in popular opinion had become increasingly corrupt and authoritarian. Following the revolution Akayev fled the country. On April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). There are 271 days remaining. Events up to 19th century 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. 1721 - Sir Robert Walpole enters office as the... April 4 he signed his resignation statement in the presence of a Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation in his country's embassy in Moscow, and on April 11 the Kyrgyz Parliament ratified his resignation.

The media have variously referred to the revolution as the "Tulip," "Pink," "Lemon", "Silk", "Daffodil" or "Sandpaper" Revolution – terms meant to evoke similarities with the mostly non-violent Mikhail Saakashvili and his supporters marched on the parliament carrying roses as a symbol of nonviolence Rose Revolution refers to a peaceful 2003 revolution in the country of Georgia that displaced president Eduard Shevardnadze. Contemporary political situation Georgia had been governed by Eduard Shevardnadze since 1992 (President of Georgia since... Rose Revolution in Georgia ( Georgian: საქართველო Sakartvelo), known from 1991 to 1995 as the Republic of Georgia, is a country to the east of the Black Sea in the southern Caucasus. A former republic of the Soviet Union, it shares borders with Russia in... Georgia and the Orange-clad supporters of Viktor Yushchenko gather in Independence Square in Kiev. Ukraines Orange Revolution of 2004-2005 was a series of protests and political events that took place throughout the country in response to allegations of massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud during Ukraines Presidential... Orange Revolution in Ukraine (Україна, Ukrayina in Ukrainian; Украина in Russian) is a republic in eastern Europe which borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest and... Ukraine in 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) Elections were held in 73 countries during 2004. See a list of elections... 2004, and possibly referencing the The Velvet Revolution (Czech: sametová revoluce, Slovak: nežná revolúcia) (November 16 - December 29 1989) refers to a bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the communist government there. It started on November 16, 1989 with a peaceful student demonstration in Bratislava. One day later, on... Velvet Revolution. The Kyrgyz revolution, however, saw some violence in its initial days and at least three people died during widespread looting in the capital in the first 24 hours after the government's fall.

Post-election violence

Protests began prior to the announcement of election results in many western and southern areas, and became more assertive as time passed. On March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). There are 288 days remaining. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius will and proclaims Caligula emperor. 1229 - Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor declares himself King of Jerusalem during the Sixth Crusade. 1438... March 18, thousands of demonstrators occupied the governor's office in the southern city of Jalal-Abad and another government building in Osh. Protesters in the southern town of Toktogul took captive a district governor and chief district prosecutor, both of them accused of colluding with Akayev's government in rigging the elections.

In the early hours of March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). There are 286 days remaining. Events 1413 – Henry V becomes King of England. 1602 – The Dutch East India Company is established. 1739 – Nadir Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks... March 20, 2005 police attempted to recapture the buildings by force. Reports circulated of injuries to several demonstrators and to a police officer, while authorities temporarily detained hundreds of civilians in these areas. In the following hours, crowds surged to re-take the building in Jalal-Abad. The nearby police station quickly became a focal point for confrontations. Stone-throwing protesters stormed the station, causing some officers to take to the roof and fire warning shots in the air. The crowds forced open the doors of the building and witnesses observed people throwing Molotov cocktails into the windows.

By the following day, March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). There are 285 days remaining. Events 1556 - In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake. 1788 - A fire destroys 856 buildings in New Orleans and leaves most of the... March 21, around 1,000 demonstrators in Osh occupied the regional administration building, a police station and a television station, as well as the airport. Most security forces escaped unhurt, but rioters caught and assaulted two, before parading them on horseback in the city square.

On March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). There are 284 days remaining. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperors 1621 - The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sign a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags... March 22 activists seized another administrative building, in the southern town of Pulgon. A day later, the capital Bishkek cityscape Bishkek (population 700,000), founded in 1878 and from 1926-1991 known as Frunze, after the Bolshevik commander Mikhail Frunze, is the capital of Kyrgyzstan. In Kyrgyz, a Bishkek is a churn used to make fermented mares milk. It is a city of wide boulevards and marble... Bishkek saw its first demonstrations. A few hundred people gathered in the city's main square, but police broke up the rally before it could begin. Officers hit some of the crowd with sticks and arrested a number of organisers. Those detained allegedly included members of opposition newspapers, students, A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. Although the definition can technically include for-profit corporations, the term is generally restricted to social and cultural groups, whose primary goal is not commercial. Some people consider the NGO label misleading, as it... NGO leaders, writers and members of the KelKel youth movement. Protestors also took over Kadamjai in the south and the northern towns of Talas is a small town, beautifully located in a long valley between two imposing mountain ranges in northwestern Kyrgyzstan and the administrative headquarters of an administrative district (oblast) of the same name. The mythical Kyrgyz national hero Manas is said to have been born in the Ala Too mountains in... Talas and Kochkor.

Opposition Unity

Prior to the election, opposition to the Kyrgyz government suffered from internal division. In the Georgian and Ukrainian revolutions, opposition groups united in removing their respective governments, but this did not occur in Kyrgyzstan. Various forces had joined together to contest the election as a coalition, however several of these groups existed prior to the polls. The opposition also lacked an obvious leader or a single candidate who could have inspired people to protest, thus leaving the field open for more spontaneous populist revolts. The more vocal critics of the allegedly rigged elections have included Roza Otunbaeva, a former Kyrgyz foreign minister and ambassador to the UK and the US; and Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a former Prime Minister who resigned his post after police shot and killed five peaceful demonstrators in the southern town of Aksy in 2002.

Thousands of people attended a rally in Osh on March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). There are 287 days remaining. Events up to 19th century 1279 - Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. 1687 - The men under explorer Robert Cavelier de La... March 19 as an opposition congress, called a Kurultai (Tatar: Qorıltay) is a political and military council of ancient Mongol chiefs and khan. All Great Khans of Mongol Empire, for example Genghis Khan and Ogedei Khan were formally elected in Kurultai. (also spelt as kuriltai, qoriltay in English). Various Turkic peoples use it as a... kurultai, set up a "people's council" in a challenge to the local administration and proclaimed it as a parallel government. One of its leaders, Anvar Artykov, announced: "We will keep this authority until all of our demands and problems will be resolved. We are an interim power. We can talk about the fulfillment of our tasks when the current government will be replaced by a government that is trusted by the nation."

Otunbaeva said on March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). There are 285 days remaining. Events 1556 - In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake. 1788 - A fire destroys 856 buildings in New Orleans and leaves most of the... March 21 that police officers in Jalal-Abad had switched sides in massive numbers. "Policemen, including high-ranking officers, took off their uniforms, changed into civilian clothes and joined our ranks. So we have substantial support." Journalists could not independently verify these reports.

Government Reaction

Following the violence on March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). There are 285 days remaining. Events 1556 - In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake. 1788 - A fire destroys 856 buildings in New Orleans and leaves most of the... March 21, Akayev ordered the Central Election Commission and Supreme Court to investigate alleged violations. He ordered the commission and court "to pay particular attention to those districts where election results provoked extreme public reaction ... and tell people openly who is right and who is wrong".

On March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). There are 283 days remaining. Events 752 - Stephen II becomes Pope. 1568 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de Medici and Charles IX of France make... March 23, Akayev announced the dismissal of Interior Minister Bakirdin Subanbekov and of the General Prosecutor Myktybek Abdyldayev for "poor work" in dealing with the growing protests against his government.

International Response

The The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. In its region it is concerned with early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. It has 55 participating states from Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America. Institutions... Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had sent 60 observers to monitor the election runoffs. In its initial assessment the group said the second round of voting showed "some technical improvements over the first round", but stressed that there remained "significant shortcomings". (The OSCE had said the first round fell short of international standards in many areas.)

Election observers from the The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (in Russian: Содружество Независимых Государств (СНГ) - Sodruzhestvo Nezavisimykh Gosudarstv) is a confederation or... Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) disagreed. They hailed the runoff elections as well-organized, free, and fair. CIS observers also praised local authorities for showing restraint and competence in dealing with political unrest in several regions. This contradiction in the findings between OSCE and CIS observation teams formed the latest in a series of such contradictory findings (see CIS election observation missions). Russia supported the CIS reports and rebuked the OSCE for its findings. [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4369065.stm) Though Russia has membership in both organizations, it has a much more dominant role in the CIS.

Following the initial violent incidents, appeals quickly issued from the The term international community can refer to either: All the lands represented in United Nations. The people of the lands all over the world. The international community is regulated by the international law created by the international consensus. It has been claimed that the superpower nations (now mainly the United... international community for calm and for a peaceful settlement to the growing tensions. In Washington, a The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. It is administered by the United States Secretary of State. It is headquartered in the Harry S. Truman... State Department spokesman said US officials had contacted "both" sides to urge them to resolve their differences through dialogue. The United States, which operates Ganci Air Base, a strategic military installation at Bishkek's Manas airport, expressed mild criticism of the election abuses and rebuked the opposition for taking over government buildings. (Ganci Air Base, set up initially in late 2001 to provide a station for an expanded air presence in US activities in Afghanistan, has remained and grown ever since - and houses, at current estimates, about 2000 American and European troops. The establishment of a Russian airbase at Kant, a few miles from Bishkek, two years later, and Kyrgyzstan's proximity to China, mark the country as an important strategic site. This situation may figure in any calculations regarding putative future intervention by external parties. Various international news agencies, including the The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. It is owned by The New York Times Company, which also publishes other major newspapers like International Herald Tribune and The Boston Globe, among... New York Times, have reported that American funding and support, from governmental and non-governmental sources, helped in part to pave the way for the pro-opposition demonstrations by providing means of printing materials and literature. US State Department statements have partly substantiated such claims.

The United Nations, meanwhile, offered the following statement by Secretary-General Order: 7th Secretary-General Term of Office: January 1, 1997–present Predecessor: Boutros Boutros-Ghali Successor: incumbent Born: April 8, 1938 Place of birth: Kumasi, Ghana Died: Place of death: Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Biography... Kofi Annan on its website: "The secretary general is opposed to the use of violence and intimidation to resolve electoral and political disputes". Annan "calls on all parties to apply restraint".

The Russian Foreign Ministry on March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). There are 285 days remaining. Events 1556 - In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake. 1788 - A fire destroys 856 buildings in New Orleans and leaves most of the... March 21 posted on its official website a statement about the recent unrest, in which it expressed concern about the actions of the opposition. The statement urged demonstrators to remain within the framework of the constitution and to maintain a "constructive dialogue" with the administration of President Akayev. The ministry also appealed to foreign observers in the country, including the OSCE, to exhibit In moral philosophy, the word responsibility has at least two related meanings: The obligation to answer for actions. Often this means answering to some specified authority. The recognition that in order to achieve ones purposes, one must act oneself (take responsibility) rather than expecting others to do something (compare... responsibility in their statements and not to give "destructive elements" justification for unlawful acts.

The Uzbek foreign ministry issued the following statement on March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). There are 283 days remaining. Events 752 - Stephen II becomes Pope. 1568 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de Medici and Charles IX of France make... March 23: "The people of The Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia (it is surrounded only by landlocked countries and, along with Liechtenstein, is one of only two such countries in the world). It shares borders with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. National motto: none Official language Uzbek Capital... Uzbekistan, which is a close neighbour of Kyrgyzstan, are concerned about the events happening in Kyrgyzstan, especially in its southern regions". The state-controlled media in Uzbekistan had previously not mentioned the crisis, fearing it could spark unrest within the border town of Andijan (also Andijon, Andizhan, Andizan) is a city of western Uzbekistan. Population 303,000. It is the capital of the province of the same name (Andijon Wiloyati). Geography Andijan is located in the Fergana Valley, near the border with Kyrgyzstan on the Andijan-Say River. History Andijan was an important... Andijan. Since 2004 the area has witnessed demonstrations by traders upset about new laws that restrict their commercial activity.

Government Collapse

By March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). There are 283 days remaining. Events 752 - Stephen II becomes Pope. 1568 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de Medici and Charles IX of France make... March 23 the protest movement had become widespread, particularly in some of the majority Uzbek southern towns, having gained momentum in the wake of allegations of massive fraud and manipulations during the elections. The opposition appeared to unify to some extent around two main opposition leaders: former Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev and former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbaeva.

On March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). There are 282 days remaining. Events up to 19th century 1603 - James I becomes King of England. 1765 - American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain passes the Quartering Act that requires the... March 24, protests spread to Bishkek, where a large crowd of tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the main government building. When security forces and pro-government provocateurs began beating a number of youthful demonstrators in the front ranks, the main crowd behind them closed ranks and a large number of the young swept past the security forces and stormed into the government headquarters. They also occupied the building of the state television. A number of skirmishes took place between the opposition and police, before sheer force allowed a throng of protestors to overrun government offices -- which crowds of young men then vandalized.

President Akayev left the country on Thursday 24 March, fleeing with his family by helicopter to Kazakhstan ( Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, IPA /qɑzɑqˈstɑn/; Russian: Казахстан, Kazakhstán, IPA /kɐzəxˈstɐn/), also spelled Kazakstan, is a... Kazakhstan, from where he subsequently flew to Moscow. At that point, he refused to resign. Prime Minister Nikolay Timofeyevich Tanayev (born November 5, 1945) is the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. He is an ethnic Russian. He was Deputy Prime Minister under Kurmanbek Bakiyev and was made acting PM on May 22, 2002 after Bakiyev was sacked. He officially became PM eight days later when he was confirmed... Nikolai Tanayev resigned as the opposition took control of key state organs including State Television, and the police melted away or joined the protestors. Imprisoned opposition leaders, including Felix Kulov, were freed and the Kyrgyz Supreme Court declared the election results invalid.

The newly elected parliament named Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a southerner, as acting Prime Minister and acting President. Felix Kulov, freed only a day earlier and the one man many feel capable of uniting the erstwhile opposition groupings, made a television appeal for calm. With the breakdown of law and order, mobs looted stores and ATMs in Bishkek during the night, and a number of buildings were set on fire. By March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). There are 281 days remaining. Events 708 - Constantine is consecrated Pope. 1306 - Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scotland. 1409 - The Council of Pisa opens. 1634 - The first settlers arrive in Maryland (led... March 25 reports emerged of many casualties, including three deaths, and some looting continued. Bakiyev appointed Kulov acting Interior Minister, with instructions to restore order in the capital. An interim cabinet of appointeees but appears to consist of a varied collection of individuals representing different anti-Akayev groups and Clan (disambiguation). A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. Even if actual lineage patterns are unknown, clan members nonetheless recognize a founding member or apical ancestor. As kinship based bonds can be merely symbolical in... clans.

On March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). There are 280 days remaining. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. 1552 - Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru 1636 - Utrecht University is founded in The... March 26, armed supporters of former president Akayev reportedly tried to enter Bishkek in force, but turned back when it became apparent that they would not meet much support in the capital. They acted on the orders of Kenesh Dushebaev, former acting Interior Minister, and Temirbek Akmataliev, until then minister of emergency affairs and previously minister of the interior and responsible for the killing of five unarmed demonstrators in the southern town of Aksy in 2002. Akmataliev, a very close associate of Akayev, later (on March 29) announced that he would run in the planned new presidential elections.

Consolidation

By March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). There are 278 days remaining. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Pertinax was assassinated by Praetorian Guards, who then sold the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus. 845 - Paris is sacked by Viking raiders... March 28, gradual stabilization of the political situation appeared to have taken place. The "old" parliament dissolved itself, and the "new" parliament gained recognition as legitimate (although a number of individual seats remained in dispute and subject to review by courts). This drew some protests from people who argued that the street outpourings justified more radical reform, but the power brokers in the country seemed to consider it preferable to have the forces represented in the new parliament on the inside rather than the outside.

On April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. Events 1453 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (İstanbul), which would fall on May 29 1513 - Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida becoming the first... April 2, Akayev agreed to resign as President. A Kyrgyz delegation traveled to Moscow to obtain his signature on the necessary document, and on April 3 Akayev announced on Russian television that he would resign with effect from April 5. He signed a declaration to this effect in the Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow on April 4. The Kyrgyz parliament debated for a week before finally accepting his resignation on April 11, but not without first stripping him and his family members of many privileges that the previous parliament had granted to them.

Short-Term Prospects

Since allegations of rigged elections triggered the upheaval, it remains unclear whether the people will accept the new parliament, legitimized so suddenly by the current group of power brokers.

On March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years). There are 275 days remaining. Events 300-1899 307 - After divorcing his wife Minerva, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian. 1774 - American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great... March 31, Kulov relinquished his post as security co-ordinator, raising questions about his intentions as well as about the cohesion among the key figures of the early post-Akayev days. One day later he publicly criticized Bakiev and declared his intention to run in the presidential elections. Questionable appointments to administrative positions in parts of the south by local power brokers have caused concern, as has the increasing incidence of parallel administrations in various towns.

Beginning on April 11, increasing numbers of homeless citizens have begun to arrive in Bishkek and to occupy plots of land with the intent of establishing squatters' rights to ownership. Tensions have been rising, as rumors circulate that ethnic Russians and other minorities will be deprived of their legal rights to real estate.

The return of Bermet Akayeva, the ousted president's daughter, and her insistance on taking her seat in Parliament, is likely to prove another incendiary factor.