Kyrgyzstan: Bakiev Presidential Inauguration Raises Hopes

Sunday, 20 November, 2005

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Leila Saralaeva

Bakiev inaugurated president

Kurmanbek Bakiev was formally inaugurated as Kyrgyzstan’s new president elect at a ceremony in central Bishkek’s Alatoo Square on August 14, marking the start of a new era for the country.

Bakiev, who became acting president and prime minister after former strongman Askar Akaev fell from power amid public unrest in March, won a landslide victory in elections last month.

After his inauguration ceremony – which was attended by a number of longstanding Akaev allies – observers expressed hope that the new president would help ensure increased accountability in Kyrgyz politics and greater prosperity for the country’s citizens.

But plenty of obstacles lie before him, including chronic economic problems, weak central government control and the question of constitutional reform.

Alatoo Square was adorned with national symbols and enormous bouquets of flowers for the purpose of last week’s events, which were estimated to have cost anywhere between 400,000 and 500,000 US dollars. The fountain near the House of Government had been renovated for the occasion and a concert was also staged, with performances by Kazak pop stars.

Those who didn’t get an invite were able to watch live on television.

In the end, claims in the state press that Vladimir Putin and Condoleezza Rice were to attend came to nothing. But the inauguration ceremony was watched by delegates from 11 nations and 10 international organisations, including the United Nations, European Union and OSCE.

The US, which broadly welcomed March’s political shake-up in Kyrgyzstan, was represented at the event by its minister for commerce, Carlos Gutierrez.

Russia – a former ally of Akaev which has long been caught up in rivalry with the US for influence in its Central Asian backyard – sent along the speaker of its Federation Council, Sergei Mironov.

And Kazak president Nursultan Nazarbaev – another onetime Akaev ally – turned up in person to congratulate Bakiev.

Others present at the inauguration ceremony included the prime minister of Tajikistan Akil Akilov and the parliamentary speakers of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Turkey was represented by defence minister Veci Ganul. And Ukraine, which recently underwent its own democratic revolution, sent foreign minister Boris Tarasyuk.

Unprecedented security measures were put in place on the day, with police cordoning off central Bishkek within a 300 metre radius. Over 2,500 officers stood guard at the event, ten snipers were positioned on the roofs of buildings around Alatoo square and all manhole covers in the area were sealed.

Bakiev – dressed in a black suit, with a bright yellow tie recalling the banners of March’s so-called Tulip Revolution – met with children wearing the national costumes of the different peoples of Kyrgyzstan. He also took part in the traditional ritual of Alas, being wafted with the smoke of burning juniper branches from each region of the country and having words uttered to protect him from all possible misfortunes, ailments and natural disasters.

In the event, the anxious Bakiev forgot to place his hand on the Kyrgyz constitution as he gave the presidential oath. But he read the text in an even, confident voice, vowing to respect the country’s sovereignty and independence, protect its constitution and laws and safeguard the rights of its citizens.

Afterwards, seven artillery volleys were fired and the assembled crowds stood to cheer his words. The head of the Central Election Commission handed the new head of state the presidential standard and a badge embroidered with golden threads, symbolising presidential power.

Bakiev only briefly glanced into the box containing the badge, which caused some controversy when it was manufactured earlier this year, amid speculation about how much it had cost. Former president Akaev had no such symbol.

“I look to the future with hope and confidence,” the new president told the audience, when it came to the time for his inaugural speech. “And I know what needs to be done to make the life of my people better, so that the economy develops and prosperity increases.”

He promised to implement social and economic policies that would secure the financial future of every citizen. “We will root out corruption in the country and bring the economy out of the shadows,” he said.

The new president also congratulated “those who bravely opposed authoritarianism”. “I pay the tribute of profound respect to those who died or suffered in upholding true democracy,” he said. “This is your victory, the victory of the entire people of Kyrgyzstan.”

After his speech, Bakiev returned to his seat to kiss his wife Tatyana and accept congratulations from the assembled guests. Kazak president Nazarbaev, who sat at Bakiev’s side, was seen to clasp his hand and congratulate him warmly.

There have been signs in recent months that Bakiev might be looking to forge links with Central Asian governments like Nazarbaev’s and with major powers in the wider region, at the expense of Kyrgyzstan’s relationship with the US.

On July 5, as acting president, he put his name to a statement by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – made up of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Russia and China – saying that the situation in Afghanistan was now stable enough for a re-evaluation of the need for US troops to be stationed on the territory of member states.

On July 11, in his first press conference after being elected president the day before, he echoed the sentiment, casting into doubt the future of a US airbase near Bishkek.

But even at the time, a number of his allies in government made an active effort to play down the moves. And later in July, following a two-day visit by US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Bakiev announced that the Manas base could stay for the time being.

As a small country with limited resources, analysts say Kyrgyzstan will inevitably have to do its best to maintain good relations both with the US and with its neighbours and regional powers.

“I don’t think Bakiev will make a big turn in favour of Russia and neighbouring countries at the expense of the US,” Yrys Omurzakov, chief editor of the Tribuna newspaper, told IWPR. “Kyrgyzstan is condemned to a long friendship with a rich country. The fact that the US base is staying is a clear example of this.”

Observers were also careful not to overstate the significance of the personal presence of the Kazak president at the inauguration ceremony. “Nazarbaev did that not because he has a special relationship to Bakiev, but simply to support Kazak business in Kyrgyzstan,” said political analyst Nur Omarov.

Following Bakiev’s inauguration, there was optimism about what his presidency might mean for Kyrgyzstan, which had previously been under the control of the authoritarian Akaev ever since it won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

“The atmosphere itself shows that the people have enormous hopes and that a new period of time has begun in the history of Kyrgyzstan,” said Chingiz Aitmatov, a renowned writer who is currently the Kyrgyz ambassador in Brussels. “I hope that our new president achieves major progress and success in the life of our country.”

Tashtemir Aitbaev, chairman of the National Security Service, described the inauguration as “a historic event in the life of our Kyrgyz people”.

“It is a new stage in the development of our society,” he told IWPR. “From the inauguration I expect a better life – calm, peace, prosperity – and that our country will move to a new stage of development and that we will live in a rich, civilised and wonderful country.”

Akylbek Japarov, acting finance minister, was equally enthused. “Today marks an end to the ongoing political struggle for power in Kyrgyzstan,” he said. “From the inauguration I expect that the international community and our Kyrgyz community will see that we revolutionaries are not so terrifying, and that we will work with the people and for the people.”

“I think that from tomorrow we will begin to deal simply with the economy,” he added

In the midst of the celebrations, even critics of the new regime expressed optimism.

Jypar Jeksheev, the leader of the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan and a former presidential candidate, figures amongst the country’s political opposition. But he was upbeat about the new political climate.

“A time of reckoning has begun for the new president,” he said. “Until today, the status of acting president could be used to justify any failures. Now every action he takes will be closely assessed by society.

“From today, there will be no time for wavering and promising. The time has come to act, and the people will assess this. And we, the leaders of political parties and public organisations, must unite and help the new president of the country, for the sake of the stability and prosperity of Kyrgyzstan.”

Many obstacles remain for Bakiev to overcome if he is ever to fulfil such expectations, including a long-term economic crisis that currently shows little sign of abating.

The government in Bishkek will also have to work to regain a tighter hold on the regions outside the capital, which Akaev paid relatively little attention to. Bakiev, who is himself from southern Kyrgyzstan, will need to make a particular effort to establish himself in the north of the country, where his former competitor and now acting prime minister Felix Kulov is highly popular.

There is also a need to calm a general sense of unrest, which has seen a string of public protests and occupations of state buildings in the months since the original March uprisings.

And there is the question of whether Kyrgyzstan’s current constitution – which includes controversial amendments made during Akaev’s time – will need to be reformed or even scrapped.

However that may be, Edil Baisalov, leader of a coalition of non-governmental organisations entitled For Democracy and Civil Society, said the president did a good job of using the inauguration to instil confidence in his citizens.

“Listening to Bakiev’s speech it was clear that he recognises the burden of responsibility placed on him and that he understands that the country is living in hope and belief in him,” he said. “However cynical we may be, and whatever disappointments we may face, at the inauguration today we believed the new president of the country.”

Leila Saralaeva is an independent journalist in Bishkek.