Political Compromise Hangs in the Balance

The authorities and parts of the opposition in Kyrgyzstan may yet succeed in working out a compromise if the former finally commit to reforming the political system, and the latter are more realistic about when change can happen, say NBCentralAsia observers.



On March 23, President Kurmanbek Bakiev addressed the nation on television to respond to a set of demands put to him by the opposition Movement for Reform in talks two days earlier.



One of the movement’s leaders, Almaz Atambaev, had said after the March 21 meeting that “consensus has been reached on almost all issues and the president has agreed to nearly all the Movement for Reform’s demands”. These include changing the constitution, reforming the system of government, waging war on corruption, stopping nepotistic businesses practices, and setting up a coalition government.



However, in the event, Bakiev's TV address contained only one promise of change, in the area of constitutional reform. He promised to set up a working group to draft amendments and then submit an “agreed version” of the constitution to parliament, “and also to a referendum, if that proves necessary”.



Speaking before Bakiev’s announcement, some members of the Movement for Reform said it was premature to predict that agreement could be reached on constitutional reform, given that the revisions the opposition wants would significantly curb the president’s powers.



NBCentralAsia observers say that negotiations between the Movement for Reforms and the authorities only became possible after the more radical United Front for a Worthy Future for Kyrgyzstan, which is led by former prime minister Felix Kulov, was set up in February.



The United Front is presenting a tougher set of demands, and says it will call on the president to resign when it mounts protests on April 9-11.



Omurbek Abdrakhmanov of the Movement for Reforms said, “The president has been forced to compromise with the opposition only since the United Front demanded his resignation and started getting ready to stage mass protests.”



The United Front’s Omurbek Suvanaliev, meanwhile, told the Bishkek Press Club that the only reason President Bakiev is talking to the opposition at all is to “sow confusion” in its ranks.



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