Allegations of blatant violations ahead of Kyrgyzstan's October 4 parliamentary elections, including vote-buying and the use of administrative resources, sent people onto the streets after results of the poll were released showing three of the four parties that won seats were pro-government groupings.
Peaceful rallies in the capital, Bishkek, turned into violent encounters and culminated in the storming and seizure of the government building.
This was only the beginning. In the absence of authority, various groups claimed the right to take the lead in governing the country, some going so far as to name officials without any legal grounds to do so.
Several factions are now trying to rally people to their side.
On this week's Majlis podcast, RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion looking at what happened in Bishkek, who is behind it, what their motives are, and what might get Kyrgyzstan out of this situation.
This week's guests are: Asel Doolotkeldieva, an associate research fellow at the OSCE Institute in Bishkek; Saniia Toktagazieva, a constitutional law expert, who is also based in the Kyrgyz capital; Eugene Huskey, professor emeritus at Florida's Stetson University, who has been studying Kyrgyzstan since the late 1980s; and Bruce Pannier, the author of the Qishloq Ovozi blog.
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A Turbulent Week In Kyrgyzstan: What Happened And What Might Be The Way Out Of This?
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