Kyrgyz Ex-Mayor Melis Myrzakmatov On His Surprise Dismissal

Melis Myrzakmatov, the controversial former mayor of the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, was suddenly dismissed from his post on December 5. Myrzakmatov was the only top official in Kyrgyzstan with ties to former President Kurmanbek Bakiev who had managed to remain in his post after Bakiev's ouster by violent protests in 2010. In an interview with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service correspondent Janarbek Akaev in Bishkek, Myrzakmatov said the reason for his dismissal was technical and that he stands a good chance of being reelected in the future.