The Poet and the Starving People

Opposition ultimatum to the President of Kyrgyzstan

Yesterday in Bishkek, seven large yurts appeared on the square in front of the parliament. About 80 supporters of the United Front (UF) of the opposition “For a Decent Future of Kyrgyzstan” settled there and declared an indefinite hunger strike in support of the front’s demands. The head of the PF, ex-Prime Minister Felix Kulov, confirmed yesterday that these “demands are unchanged - early presidential elections.”

Thus, on April 5, exactly on schedule, as promised by the PF leaders, a collective hunger strike began preparations for mass protests in Bishkek on April 11, in which, as the “front-line soldiers” previously claimed, about 100 thousand people would take part. But yesterday Kulov warned that “there may be fewer of them, since the opposition is faced with the problem of physically transporting supporters to the capital.” The leader of the PF stated that his front “is supported by 90% of the population, which became possible thanks to the mass dissatisfaction of citizens with the policies of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.”

Felix Kulov made a number of other statements yesterday that look like a statement of the terms of a compromise with the president, which the PF is ready to discuss with him. We are talking about creating a coalition government, “if formed, we will insist on the abolition of the December constitution.” (Recall that on December 30, 2006, the parliament adopted the version of the constitution proposed by the president, returning to him the main powers taken away by the constitution adopted on the night of November 9, which declared the transition to a parliamentary-presidential republic.) Another demand of the opposition is “clarification of the transitional provisions of the November basic law of the land." In particular, we are talking “about the powers of the cabinet of ministers, the appointment of its members with the consent of the president and the appointment of heads of regional administrations only by the coalition government.” This, according to Kulov, “will ensure that the president does not use administrative resources and will not use the time before the adoption of the new constitution in his own interests.”

The opposition provided little time to respond to its proposals: until today, April 6. Naturally, when Kulov talks about a coalition government, he does not mean the cabinet that was headed a week ago by the former co-chairman of the For Reforms movement, Almazbek Atambayev. This movement split, and Atambayev himself turned out to be the only “oppositionist” in the government, since none of his former comrades agreed to join it.

Many expect that direct negotiations between former comrades in the Bakiyev-Kulov tandem, which collapsed in mid-January, could defuse the crisis situation in Kyrgyzstan. And such a “request for a meeting from the president,” according to Kulov, was conveyed to him yesterday morning by Secretary of State Adakhan Madumarov, but “the topic of the negotiations was not voiced by him.” The meeting did not take place - “I don’t see the point in such negotiations,” Kulov said and added: “I don’t believe a single word of the president.” The leader of the PF made it clear that he was under pressure from more radical members of the front, demanding that another condition be put forward: the resignation of President Bakiev. Whether this demand will be voiced at the rally on April 11 depends, according to Kulov, “on Bakiyev himself.”

The front leader visited his supporters camped in yurts who had begun a hunger strike. All of them, as the Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg reports, were instructed to avoid provocations from opponents who “may throw, offer food or try to hand it over by force in order to then film it on photo and video cameras of pro-government media.” Everyone who signed up to refuse food “must strictly follow the rules, empty their pockets of leftover food, even crumbs and sweets... should not lose sight of each other, even going to the toilet.” Organizers installed dry toilets on the square.

Kyrgyzstan froze in anticipation. But for now, life in Bishkek goes on as usual. Yesterday, the poet from Switzerland Frederic Vandeleur gave a lecture on Swiss literature of the 20th century.

Arkady DUBNOV