Kulov Holds Out Chance of Compromise

Kyrgyz opposition leader Felix Kulov has clearly stated what he wants President Kurmanbek Bakiev to do in order to avoid further confrontation, and NBCentralAsia experts see the move as new hope for a possible compromise in the political deadlock.



On April 5, Kulov, who heads the opposition United Front for a Worthy Future for Kyrgyzstan, said he had declined Bakiev’s offer to meet him that day, because the authorities have not yet made any concrete proposals.



Kulov also set out his demand for constitutional reform, which he says must be carried out within three months. In the interim, while the new document is being drafted and debated, Kulov wants parliament to reinstate the November 2006 version. Last November, pressure from the opposition forced parliament to adopt a new constitution that reduced the president’s powers, but a month later Bakiev pushed through new changes restoring much of the control he had lost.



Restoring the November version for the transitional period would prevent the president having too much influence in the constitutional reform process, as it strengthens the role of prime minister, allowing him to form a cabinet and appoint provincial governors.



Kulov also demanded that a new coalition cabinet should be put in place while the new constitution is being drafted. He has refused to acknowledge the government created last week by Prime Minister Almaz Atambaev, formerly of another opposition group, the Movement for Reforms, saying that not enough opposition figures had been appointed to it to make it a true coalition.



Kulov said he will give the president until April 6 to give his reaction, but the mass rallies scheduled for April 11 will go ahead regardless. The president had not commented on Kulov’s proposal when this report was published.



Bakiev’s administration has already received one proposed draft constitution approved by the United Front and drafted by member of parliament and Movement for Reforms member Kubatbek Baibolov. On April 6, in an interview with the Vecherniy Bishkek newspaper, Bakiev said the authorities will not adopt that version before every article has been discussed in parliament.



Political observers say by making specific demands, Kulov has showed that there is still a chance of compromise.



“An early compromise has been found. Fulfilling two of the opposition’s demands might strike off a third one, which is the most radical and the least justifiable in legal terms - the call for early presidential elections. This can be seen as the opposition’s first step towards compromise.”



Tamerlan Ibraimov, director of the Centre for Political and Legal Studies, is doubtful that Bakiev will tell Kulov what he plans to do before April 11. He believes the president will gauge how much support the opposition has before deciding whether to give into its demands.



Baibolov is hopeful that talks could take place even as the demonstrations got under way, assuming they are peaceful.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)