12 April 2000
KULOV STOPS HUNGER STRIKE.
Spokesman for the Security Ministry Talant Razzakov announced in Bishkek on 11 April that Felix Kulov stopped his hunger strike the previous night on the 17th day of the action. Chairman of the opposition Ar-Namys Party Kulov was arrested in a Bishkek hospital on 22 March being accused of embezzlement and other misdoing when he was vice president of Kyrgyzstan and minister of national security several years ago. He began a hunger strike in the security ministry custody on 24 March.
Omurbek SubanAliyev of the Ar-Namys confirmed the information to RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 11 April. Lyubov Ivanova, lawyer for Kulov, told RFE/RL correspondent that the physicians of the security ministry demanded from Kulov to stop the hunger strike last night. According to her, Kulov's blood pressure is still high and his health has been deteriorated.
Kulov took part in the last parliamentary elections and ran as independent because his party was not allowed to participate. He collected most of votes in the Kara-Buura constituency in the first round on 20 February but was announced lost in the runoff on 12 March. Residents of Kara-Buura held protest pickets on 12-23 March. Protest pickets in Bishkek began on 15 March. Protesters demand to free Kulov and to annul the forged election results.
Kulov's contender Alybai Sultanov was registered as a member of the new parliament on 8 April. Several chairpersons of the local election commissions admitted they had been forced to forge the results in favor of Sultanov. Chairman of the # 24 election commission in Kara-Buura Rasul Aitmambetov, 41, hanged himself on 17 March. Head of the Kara-Buura district administration Ilimbek MurzAliyev resigned on 24 March.
PICKET IN BISHKEK CONTINUES.
About 100 people took part in the protest picket in Bishkek on 11 April. 5 of them continue to stand on hunger strike. The hunger strike among the demonstrators began on 25 March. Several strikers have been hospitalized to date.
Some of the picketers went to the Russian embassy building in Bishkek that morning, trying to meet Sergei Yastrzhembsky, aide to the Russian president. Nobody from the embassy has met with them.
Picketer Kural UsubAliyev told RFE/RL correspondent on 11 April that the protesters would continue the picket until Kulov would be released. UsubAliyev takes part in the protest pickets in Bishkek from the beginning, since 15 March. He was arrested on 5 April and was sentenced on 6 April to 5 days of imprisonment, being released yesterday.
Picketer Akkyz Dubasheva told RFE/RL correspondent in a Bishkek hospital on 11 April that she would continue protest after discharging from hospital. Dubasheva began the hunger strike on 25 March and was hospitalized on 4 April.
TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH GERMANY.
The governmental press service announces that a protocol was signed in Bishkek on 11 April on technical cooperation between the Kyrgyz and German governments in 2000-2001. According to an agreement, Germany will give Kyrgyzstan a 9.5-million-DM technical help. However, the help will be formalized as a loan, because, as the German delegation said today, the Kyrgyz government fails to meet its commitments to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
OPPOSITION PARTY REFUSES TO TAKE PART IN ROUND TABLE.
Member of the political council of the opposition Ar-Namys Party Omurbek SubanAliyev announced in Bishkek on 11 April that the party would not take part in a round table discussion with Kyrgyz authorities, if it would be organized by the presidential administration. SubanAliyev says his party is agree to participate in a discussion under the aegis of the OSCE only, when the both opposition and the government will have the equal rights.
Leaders of the three opposition parties made similar statement on 28 March. OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis announced in Bishkek on 15 March that President Askar Akayev promised him to hold a round table discussion with representatives of all opposition organizations of the country.
RUSSIAN YASTRZHEMBSKY IN BISHKEK.
According to the presidential administration, Russian president's spokesman on Chechnya, Sergei Yastrzhembsky arrived in Bishkek on 11 April. He will meet with President Askar Akayev, Foreign Minister Muratbek Imanaliev, members of the Kyrgyz Security Council and other state officials. Bilateral cooperation between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, especially joint fight against international terrorism, drug business, organized crime will be discussed during the meetings. Also tomorrow, Yastrzhembsky will give a news conference in Bishkek.
Yastrzhembsky comes to Kyrgyzstan on the eve of the US State Secretary Madeleine Albright's visit to Bishkek, scheduled for 17 April.
MEETING OF THE CIS CUSTOMS SERVICES.
Director of the Customs Inspections Azamat Kangeldiev announced in Bishkek on 11 April that the 7th meeting of customs services of the CIS Customs Union would be held in Kyrgyzstan, on the shore of Issyk-Kul Lake, the following day. Heads of the customs services of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan will take part in it. They will discuss formation of a common economical area, possibility to join the Kyoto Convention, other common issues.
Prime Minister Amangeldi MurAliyev received in Bishkek today leaders of the Belarussian, Russian and Tajik customs services, arrived in Kyrgyzstan.
GOVERNMENTAL MEETING ON NEW RAILWAY.
Prime Minister Amangeldi MurAliyev held a special meeting in Bishkek on 11 April on the construction of the new Balykchy-Karakeche railway. It was announced at the meeting that Germany could give Kyrgyzstan a 50-million-DM loan for the road. Also, a Japanese delegation will arrive in Kyrgyzstan on 19 April to discuss their possible help to construct the road.
Kyrgyz government began to discuss the project on 190-km railroad to the Kara-Keche coal mine in 1993 and construction began in 1998. The mine is situated in the mountainous Jumgal district of Naryn region at altitude of about 2,000 meters. According to the government, there are about 450 million metric tons of coal in the mine.
WOMEN PARTY MIGHT BE DIVIDED.
Former member of the political council of the Women Democratic Party Kalen Sydykova announced in Bishkek on 11 April that the party could be divided into the two different parties soon. She was excluded from the party at its last congress held in Bishkek on 8 April.
It was decided at the congress that a party list handed to the Central Election Commission last February, was illegal and the two women, elected to parliament according to the list, should be deprived of their authorities as members of new parliament. According to the party chairwoman Tokon Shailieva, the elected deputies, Roza Aknazarova and Lyubov Komissarova, never have been members of the Women Democratic Party.
However, Aknazarova and Komissraova received their certificates and deputy badges at the Central Election Commission on 8 April. They were Number One and Number Two in the party election list and the party won the two seats in the new parliament. Tokon Shailieva was the Number Four in the list.
PROTEST PICKET CONTINUES IN BISHKEK.
About 100 people continued a protest picket in Bishkek on 10 April on the square near the statue to Maxim Gorky. Five protesters continue a protest hunger strike. Their number was 12 during the weekend but some of them had to stop hunger strike today due to worsening health condition. Hunger strike began on 25 March and number of its participants reached 17 people some days. Some strikers have been hospitalized.
The demonstrators demand to free opposition leader Felix Kulov and to annul the forged results of the last parliamentary elections.
KULOV CONTINUES HUNGER STRIKE IN CUSTODY.
Felix Kulov, chairman of the opposition Ar-Namys Party, was arrested in a Bishkek hospital on 22 March and stands on a protest hunger strike since 24 March in the Security Ministry custody.
Lyubov Ivanova, lawyer to Kulov, confirmed to RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek today that Kulov continues hunger strike in custody, for the 17th day on 10 April. According to her, health conditions of Kulov is worsening and she has appealed to the Security Ministry demanding to hold a medical check-up but has not received any reply yet.
Union of the opposition parties and movements "For the Future of Kyrgyzstan" appealed today to Kulov asking to stop the hunger strike. The union appeals to international community asking to recognize Kulov as a political prisoner. They also appealed to the Security Ministry demanding to organize a check-up by independent physicians.
Kulov collected most of votes in the first round in the Kara-Buura constituency on 20 March but was announced lost in the runoff on 12 March. Kulov himself, his party and voters of the constituency sya the results were forged.
RUSSIAN STATE DUMA TO DISCUSS THE KULOV ISSUE.
Russian State Duma prepares to discuss soon the current political situation in Kyrgyzstan and arrest of Felix Kulov especially. Member of Duma Boris Nemtsov said in Moscow last week: "There is no smell of democracy in Central Asia. And the opposition politicians are arrested usually at that moment when the incumbent presidents want either to prolong their terms or to be re-elected. That is why, arrest of Kulov is not a surprise, although it is a deplorable act, and Russia should have a clear and firm stand on it."
A DEMONSTRATION IN SOUTHERN REGION.
About 300 people took part on 10 April in a protest picket in front of the Batken regional administration in the town on Batken. They protest a ruling by the Leilek district court, annulled the results of the parliamentary elections in the Batken constituency last week. Opposition politician Dosbol Nur Uulu won in the Batken (# 24) constituency in the latest runoff held on 19 March, a week after the countrywide runoff elections. Dosbol Nur Uulu told RFE/RL correspondent today that he had appealed to the Supreme Court.
NEW ELECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSTITUENCIES.
New elections were held in the two constituencies on 9 April. Opposition politician Iskhak MasAliyev won in the runoff elections in the Kadamjai (# 25) constituency, collecting 73 percent of votes. The runoff was not held in time on 12 March due to several trials on the results of the first round. Iskhak MasAliyev has become the 95th elected member of the new parliament. There are 105 seats in the by-cameral Kyrgyz parliament.
Bekbosun Kydykbaev and Bakyt Kerimbekov passed the first round in the Issyk-Kul (# 17) constituency on 9 April and the runoff will be held there on 16 April. Opposition politician Omurbek SubanAliyev collected most of votes in the constituency in the first round held on 20 February but the election commissions annulled the results and the repeated elections were held on 9 April.
PROSECUTOR GENERAL DISMISSED.
A special decree by President Askar Akayev was published in local media on 10 April. According to it, Prosecutor General Asanbek SharshenAliyev is dismissed. SharshenAliyev has served as Prosecutor General since 1993.
Prosecutor of the Chu Province Chubak Abyshkaev has been appointed acting prosecutor general. Also, Kubat KojonAliyev has been appointed deputy prosecutor general. He had been deputy head of the presidential administration before.
Secretary of the Security Council Bolot Januzakov told RFE/RL correspondent in Bishkek on 10 April that SharshenAliyev would be appointed a head of one of the juridical colleges or institutes.
AKAYEV RETURNS FROM BAKU.
Presidential press secretary Osmonakun Ibraimov announced in Bishkek on 10 April that a summit meeting of the Turkic states presidents was held in Baku on 8-9 April successfully. According to him, Akayev proposed to call the year 2002 as the Year of Turkic Civilization and leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan supported the idea.
Also, Turkic leaders bid farewell to Turkish President Suleiman Demirel, who leaves his post in May. Demirel proposed to invite to the next Turkic summit, to be held in Istanbul next year, the Mongolian president.
The Baku Declaration was adopted at the summit. According to it, the 6 Turkic states would strengthen their cooperation in oil and gas production as well as environment protection. Also, the leaders took part in a festival devoted to the 1,300th anniversary of the Dede Korkut epic poem.
MEETING OF THE SECURITY OFFICIALS IN DUSHANBE.
Secretary of the Security Council Bolot Januzakov announced in Bishkek on 10 April that he took part in a meeting of the security council secretaries of the six countries, members of the CIS Collective Defense Treaty, held in Dushanbe on 7-9 April.
According to Januzakov, they discussed Central Asian security issues, joint fighting against religious extremism, drug trafficking, international terrorism and organized crime. Also, the participants agreed to form a CIS committee of security council secretaries. Leaders of the security councils of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan took part in the meeting.
AKAYEV BOOSTS CONSTRUCTION IN KYRGYZSTAN.
According to the presidential press service, President Askar Akayev has signed a special decree on further measures to improve construction in the country till the year 2010. Nikolai Tanaev, adviser to Akayev, told RFE/RL correspondent today that a juridical basis for receiving hypothecary loans should be improved in Kyrgyzstan as the first measure. According to him, only 5 percent of country population has the right to receive free of charge housing in Kyrgyzstan now, but more than 50 percent still appeal to the government asking houses.
PROTEST PICKET CONTINUES IN BISHKEK.
About 100 people continued on April 8 and 9 their protest picket in Bishkek. However, they moved on Saturday from the square in front of the US Embassy in Bishkek to the square near statue to Maxim Gorky. The latter place was chosen by the city administration as a place for any public meetings and demonstrations. 12 protesters continue their protest hunger strike, which began on 25 March.
The demonstrators demand to free opposition leader Felix Kulov and to annul the forged results of the last parliamentary elections in the Kara-Buura and Issyk-Kul constituencies. Kulov, chairman of the opposition Ar-Namys Party, was arrested in a Bishkek hospital on 22 March and stands on hunger strike since 24 March in the Security Ministry custody.
MOST RESULTS OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS APPROVED.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) held its meeting in Bishkek on 8 April and approved almost all the results of the last parliamentary elections. Alymbai Sultanov was announced won in the Kara-Buura (# 44) constituency. Also, repeated elections would be held in the Issyk-Kul (# 17) constituency.
Opposition candidate Felix Kulov collected most of votes in Kara-Buura in the first round but was announced lost in the runoff elections. The other opposition candidate, Omurbek Subanaliev, collected most of votes in Issyk-Kul in the first round, but the CEC annulled the results.
According to the CEC, 94 out of 105 deputies have been elected so far. There will be either repeated or runoff elections in the other 11 constituencies. CEC Chairman Sulaiman Imanbaev announced in Bishkek on 8 April that the elections were held generally fair and lawfully, however, election commissions had received about 1,000 appeals on the results and it was decided to hold new elections in some constituencies. Before, it was announced that 101 out of 105 deputies had already been elected.
Imanbaev handed 94 new deputies their certificates and deputy badges on 8 April.
MUFTI OF KYRGYZSTAN CHANGED.
Urgent meeting of the Council of Ulems was held in Bishkek on 8 April. It was announced after the meeting that former Mufty of Kyrgyzstan (head of Muslim community) Abdysatar-Ajy Majitov resigned and Kimsanbai-Ajy Abdrakmanov was elected new Mufti of Kyrgyzstan. Majitov addressed his statement of resignation to President Askar Akayev.
Abdrakmanov had been a Mufty of Kyrgyzstan before and was dismissed at the urgent congress of Kyrgyz Muslims in December 1996, organized by the State Commission on Religious Affairs, and was replaced by Majitov.
ASKAR AKAYEV MEETS LOUIS FREE AT AIRPORT.
According to the presidential press service, President Askar Akayv met with the director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigations Louis Free at the Manas airport near Bishkek on 8 April. Akayev was departing to Baku, Azerbaijan, to the summit of Turkic States leaders and Free stopped in Bishkek on his trip from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan.
The two discussed regional security issues in Central Asia and cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the US in fighting against organized crime, narco business and international terrorism.
PRESIDENT AKAYEV AT THE TURKIC SUMMIT.
President Askar Akayev took part in the summit meeting of the Turkic states leaders, held in Baku on 8 and 9 April. The Baku Declaration was adopted at the meeting. According to it, the 6 Turkic states would strengthen their cooperation in oil and gas production and environment protection.
Also, the leaders attended the festival devoted to the 1,300th anniversary of the Dede Korkut epic poem.
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey attended the summit. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were represented by the speakers of their parliaments.
SCANDAL IN THE WOMEN PARTY CONTINUES.
An urgent congress of the Women Democratic Party was held in Bishkek on 8 April. Party chairwoman Tokon Shailieva and her deputy Jamal Tashibekova delivered the speeches. 120 deputies attended.
It was decided at the congress unanimously that a party list handed to the Central Election Commission last February, was illegal and the two women elected to parliament according to the list should be deprived of their authorities as members of new parliament. Both Shailieva and Tashibekova said that the elected deputies, Roza Aknazarova and Lyubov Komissarova, never been members of the Women Democratic Partiy.
Aknazarova and Komissraova received their certificates and deputy badges at the Central Election Commission the same day, on 8 April. They were Number One and Number Two in the party election list and the party won the two seats in the new parliament. Party chairwoman Tokon Shailieva was the Number Four in the list.