Reporting Central Asia No. 469
WELCOME TO IWPR'S REPORTING CENTRAL ASIA, No. 469, October 30, 2006 KYRGYZ OPPOSITION RALLY LOOMS Failure of government and opposition to hold crisis talks may lead to civil unrest. By Taalaibek Amanov in Bishkek TAJIK ELECTION CAMPAIGN FALLS FLAT Behind the scenes there is talk of plots to split the opposition and curb the media, but on the surface the campaign is muted. By IWPR staff in Dushanbe NEW AT IWPR ** IWPR LAUNCHES CENTRAL ASIAN NEWS AGENCY: News Briefing Central Asia is a new concept in regional reporting, comprising analysis and "news behind the news" in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Available at: www.NBCentralAsia.net www.iwpr.net REPORTING CENTRAL ASIA RSS: http://www.iwpr.net/en/rca/rss.xml TURKMEN RADIO: INSIDE VIEW is an IWPR radio training and broadcast project for Turkmenistan. View at: http://www.iwpr.net/?p=trk&s=p&o=-&apc_state=henh RECEIVE FROM IWPR: Readers are urged to subscribe to IWPR's full range of free electronic publications at: http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=henh&s=s&m=p GIVE TO IWPR: IWPR is wholly dependent upon grants and donations. For more information about how you can support IWPR go to: http://www.iwpr.net/donate.html www.iwpr.net KYRGYZ OPPOSITION RALLY LOOMS Failure of government and opposition to hold crisis talks may lead to civil unrest. By Taalaibek Amanov in Bishkek Political unrest in Kyrgyzstan is looming following the failure of the authorities and the opposition to hold talks over the latter's demands for root-and-branch reforms. The opposition is threatening to hold a mass rally on November 2 to demand the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov who they claim are plunging the country into a political crisis. The authorities and the opposition blame each other for the cancellation of October 21 talks aimed at resolving their differences. The opposition is demanding rapid constitutional reform, a new coalition government, transformation of the state broadcaster into a public television service, and the resignations of the Kyrgyz prosecutor general and the Bishkek police chief. There's still hope of another meeting being arranged in the next few days, but some in the main opposition grouping Movement for Reforms say they've lost patience with the country's leadership. The opposition says the October 21 meeting was to have taken place between 14 of its members - including human rights advocates, leaders of NGOs and the other civil society groups - and Bakiev, Kulov, the head of the presidential administration and the secretary of state. Opposition parliamentary deputy Melis Eshimkanov claims that half an hour before the talks were due to start, the president decided to invite another 15 politicians, provoking the Movement for Reform boycott. "We realised that the president wanted to turn the talks into a debate, and to act as an observer. The meeting would have turned into a pointless discussion, and our demands would have remained just empty words," he said. For their parts, the authorities are claiming that the opposition have acted in bad faith. A statement from the presidential press service said that the Movement for Reform had objected to the government team including one additional representative, Supreme Court head Kurmanbek Osmonov. But when officials agreed to stick to their original line-up for the talks, the opposition was no longer prepared to meet, said the statement. Officials have lambasted the opposition for telling the media that they are not interested in dialogue, insisting that they want to talk while their opponents are only interested in ultimatums. Most members of the Movement for Reform are still prepared to meet officials. Its leader, Omurbek Tekebaev, said, "We are prepared for a second round of talks. But we must reach an agreement that they will be sincere and productive. It is possible to come to a consensus, but a clear and precise position from the head of state is required for this." However, a number of prominent opposition representatives, including parliamentary deputies Azimbek Beknazarov and Almazbek Atambaev, appear to have lost patience with the government and seem determined to press ahead with the planned demonstration. Beknazarov suggests that Bakiev is more interested in trying to co-opt members of the opposition than having meaningful discussions with them. "Instead of listening to our demands, the authorities send various officials to us, and promise high government position. Then the president makes a puzzled face and says that he did not give anyone the authority to conduct such talks," he said. He warned that "if there are no talks before Novem
Reporting Central Asia No. 470
WELCOME TO IWPR'S REPORTING CENTRAL ASIA, No. 470, 7 November, 2006 TAJIK PRESIDENT WINS EXPECTED LANDSLIDE With few alternatives on offer, most voters went for the obvious candidate - the current president. By IWPR staff in Dushanbe KYRGYZSTAN: NO OLIVE BRANCH FROM PRESIDENT Parliament was promised more rights in a radical new constitution, so it was angered by the conservative document it received. By Cholpon Orozobekova in Bishkek NEW AT IWPR ** PRESS RELEASE: IWPR Announces the winners of the Fifth Annual Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism. To find out about the winners or about the upcoming awards ceremony please go to http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=henh&s=o&o=top_ksa.html IWPR LAUNCHES CENTRAL ASIAN NEWS AGENCY: News Briefing Central Asia is a new concept in regional reporting, comprising analysis and "news behind the news" in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Available at: www.NBCentralAsia.net www.iwpr.net REPORTING CENTRAL ASIA RSS: http://www.iwpr.net/en/rca/rss.xml TURKMEN RADIO: INSIDE VIEW is an IWPR radio training and broadcast project for Turkmenistan. View at: http://www.iwpr.net/?p=trk&s=p&o=-&apc_state=henh RECEIVE FROM IWPR: Readers are urged to subscribe to IWPR's full range of free electronic publications at: http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=henh&s=s&m=p GIVE TO IWPR: IWPR is wholly dependent upon grants and donations. For more information about how you can support IWPR go to: http://www.iwpr.net/donate.html www.iwpr.net TAJIK PRESIDENT WINS EXPECTED LANDSLIDE With few alternatives on offer, most voters went for the obvious candidate - the current president. By IWPR staff in Dushanbe The final result announced in Tajikistan's presidential election reflected the findings of an IWPR straw poll predicting a clear win for incumbent Imomali Rahmonov. Rahmonov won 79.3 per cent of the vote, totally dominating the November 6 election, according to data released by Central Electoral Commission chief Mirzoali Boltuev the following day. His nearest rival was Olimjon Boboev, who got just 6.2 per cent. Boboev, a relative unknown from the Economic Reforms Party, followed by Amir Karakulov of the Agrarian Party with 5.3 per cent, at least did better than Ismail Talbakov of the well-established Communist Party, who scored 5.1 per cent. Last was Abduhalim Gafforov with just 2.8 per cent, nominated by one of two factions in the Socialist Party. An unscientific survey of voting patterns which IWPR conducted on the day of the election in various parts of the country showed that the majority favoured Rahmonov rather than any of his rivals. The southern Hatlon region is Rahmonov's heartland, and many voters there predictably said they would choose him. Of the other contenders, only Communist Party leader Ismail Talbakov has any kind of constituency. But party member Saifiddin Sharipov said he would be voting for Rahmonov instead, as he deserved another term in office. Like many Tajiks, Sharipov credits the president with bringing an end to five years of civil war in 1997. "Although I'm a member of the Communist Party, I am voting for Rahmonov, because he has given the people peace, and thanks to him construction has begun on several large hydroelectric stations," said Sharipov. Another Communist in the south, Abdullo Mahmadaliev, said he too preferred Rahmonov's campaign platform over the others, although he declined to say who he would be voting for. Hatlon also has a significant presence of the Islamic Revival Party, IRP, the country's major opposition party which decided not to field a candidate in this election, although it did not formally boycott it as the Democrats and Social Democrats did. Party activist Sadriddin Halimov told IWPR that in the absence of an IRP contender, he would be giving Rahmonov his vote. "The fact that Rahmonov is a worthy candidate is acknowledged not just in Tajikistan, but abroad as well," he explained. Azimjob Vahobov, the IRP's deputy head in Hatlon province, said it would be wrong to comment on his own voting choices, but said the re-elected president would have a lot of work still to do, including tackling systemic corruption and the fact that hundreds of thousands of Tajiks have to work abroad as migrant labour. The November 6 election fell on a public holiday marking Constitution Day, and local authorities did their best to make the election a festive affair, with music and food laid on at polling stations in the Hatlon city of Kurghon-Tepa (Kurgan-Tyube). In the north of Tajikistan, too, the election day mood was upbeat. In the administrative centre Khujand, music blared out and kebabs sizzled on roadside barb
