Democratic optimism has faded as poverty and corruption persist, writes MARY FITZGERALD
BORDERING KAZAKHSTAN to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east, the small, mountainous, landlocked republic of Kyrgyzstan has seen its fortunes ebb and flow since it declared independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In March 2005 Kyrgyzstan’s so-called Tulip Revolution, triggered by allegations of government meddling in parliamentary elections and given momentum by popular anger over endemic poverty, corruption and cronyism, succeeded in ousting Askar Akayev, the strongman president who had led the country since independence.
But the heady optimism of those days proved short-lived, as Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the man who replaced Akayev, failed to act on pledges to tackle graft and improve the lot of the general population, more than half of whom live below the poverty line.
While some regard Kyrgyzstan as one of the more progressive of the central Asian states, many of which chafe under rigidly authoritarian regimes, Bakiyev’s political manoeuvrings in recent years – including the apparent grooming of his son as successor – had led to growing disquiet.
The ballot that returned Bakiyev to power in July last year with a landslide 89 per cent of the vote was criticised by opposition figures and international monitors as undemocratic. There was unease too at the tightening of restrictions on the media, with opposition leaders claiming dozens of journalists had been attacked, threatened or killed since 2006.
One of the poorest countries of the former Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan, while possessing some oil and gas and a fledgling gold mining industry, is dependent on imports for the bulk of its energy requirements.
Already grim standards of living for Kyrgyzstan’s five million inhabitants have worsened in recent months due to a rapid spike in fuel prices and the plummeting of remittances from those who had emigrated to work abroad – an important source of revenue for the country’s moribund economy.
The Kyrgyz constitute almost three-quarters of the population, with Uzbeks, concentrated in the southern reaches of the country, making up some 15 per cent.
There is a significant Russian minority in the north and in the capital, Bishkek. Ethnic tensions have sometimes led to violence.
While most of the population is nominally Muslim, Kyrgyzstan has witnessed growing religious sentiment in recent years, particularly within the Uzbek community. As in other central Asian states, the government has voiced concerns that radical Islamist groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir have gained a foothold.
Due to its geographic position, Kyrgyzstan also plays into the “New Great Game” rivalry of the US, Russia and China as the three powers jostle for influence in energy-rich central Asia.
In late 2001, the US established an air base at Manas international airport near Bishkek to support its military operations in Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan also hosts a Russian military air base.