Expert: Akayev plays important role in destabilizing situation in Kyrgyzstan

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As REGNUM earlier reported, Kyrgyz opposition intends to hold a peaceful rally on April 29. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that “it is time to put an end to such practice in the interests of peace and constructiveness.”

Independent Tajik political analyst Ismoil Rakhmatov, commenting on reasons for new rallies in the neighboring country to a REGNUM correspondent, has announced that “the instability in Kyrgyzstan has started right after ex-President Askar Akayev left the country and has not stopped up to the present day, even after presidential and parliamentary elections were held in the country. Several reasons of the instability can be named, but the main thing, to my mind, is that the new authorities headed by the Kyrgyz president have failed to settle economic problems for a year that passed. Besides, an important role is played in destabilizing the situation in Kyrgyzstan by the former president Akayev, who has a lot of supporters in the country as well as in neighboring countries. Absence of unity in the new Kyrgyz leadership encourages opponents of the current authorities in Bishkek. One of the main errors of the new Kyrgyz authorities is, they have failed to keep parity in personnel issues. Earlier, southerners criticized northerners for regionalism, and they step on the same rake.”

On the other hand, continues Rakhmatov, “the fact that the authorities allow to hold opposition rallies shows democratic nature of the new Kyrgyz leadership. The fact should be exemplified by other states in Central Asia.”

Speaking on ways out of the situation in Kyrgyzstan, Rakhmatov said that “the authorities should immediately foster settlement of economic problems. It clear, though, such issues cannot be solved at a moment and even within a year.”

Answering a question about possible involvement of foreign countries or institutions in the unsteady situation in Kyrgyzstan, Rakhmatov noted that “Kyrgyzstan supports good relations with all its neighbors and other countries. It is natural, though, that some people dislike such position of the country’s leadership. Besides, it is necessary to take into account significant impact of criminal institutions upon political processes in Kyrgyzstan. The country’s leadership has not made effort yet to fight crime, and in the situation when the leadership has little authority with the people, the criminal factor will increase.”