Translated material
If there is "ketsin" in your heart
“Hot rallies” of the opposition began in Bishkek
Yesterday in Bishkek was somewhat reminiscent of May Day in Soviet times. The same festive atmosphere, bravura music, government rostrum in the central square, banners, flags... The only difference is that instead of “we approve of the policies of the party and government!” the demonstrators chanted: “Resign the President!”, “Bakiyev - ketsin!”, which in Kyrgyz means “down!”This is how the open-ended peaceful protest announced by the opposition united front “For a Decent Future of Kyrgyzstan” began yesterday. Until the last moment, its main demand remained the holding of early presidential elections and constitutional reforms long promised by the authorities. The weather in Bishkek, as ordered by the opposition, was excellent - in the shade it was no less than 20 degrees, and in the sun it went beyond 30. In a word, it was spring, the mood was good and the intensity of political passions, and even less aggressiveness, was not conducive.
Therefore, igniting the masses turned out to be not an easy task even for such an experienced speaker as the deputy and famous Kyrgyz media tycoon Melis Eshimkanov. His voice, amplified by speakers, boomed across the square and was clearly audible in dozens of canvas, military-style tents and yurts located along the perimeter of Ala-Too Square. This allowed many to listen to the presenter without leaving their shaded shelters. And this clearly did not play into the hands of the organizers of the action, who sought to demonstrate its mass character.
The opposition claims that the protesters were 35, or even 50 thousand people. The leader of the united front, Felix Kulov, justified these calculations by the number of blue scarves-bandanas with the front emblem, the letter “F”, distributed. Cynical journalists immediately suggested that they took two bandanas in each hand, for friends and girlfriends, as a souvenir. Therefore, some news agencies cited lower figures, 10-12 thousand.
It seemed to the Vremya Novostey correspondent that there were even fewer people. In any case, in the open space, those who could be counted turned out to be 6-8 thousand. The number of protesters, announced by the head of the capital’s police, looked very interesting; he managed to count them with the accuracy with which fans are counted at matches of the British Football Premier League, -- 4392(!) people.
The importance attached to the number of participants in the action is not an idle thing. From the very beginning, the leaders of the front stated that by the number of protesters they would demonstrate to the authorities how great the protest resource of the population is, in order to justify this demand for the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiev. Last night, the “front-line soldiers” promised that the mass scale of the action would grow and reach its peak this evening, when Russian pop star Yulia Savicheva was supposed to speak to the protesters.
A joke has already appeared on one of the Kyrgyz Internet sites - a replacement is expected in Savicheva’s most popular hit: in the line “if there is love in your heart,” the last word will be replaced by “ketsin.” However, late yesterday, the Akipress agency, citing the singer's producer, reported that she refused to come to Bishkek when she learned that she would have to perform at a political event, and not at a concert.
Nevertheless, one promise of the opposition was fully fulfilled yesterday. There were no riots, let alone pogroms, in the capital. Therefore, all the authorities’ preparations turned out to be unnecessary. Snipers positioned on the roof of the Bishkek White House only occasionally poked their heads outside to observe what was happening below. However, on the fence around the government residence on the eve of the rally, signs were prudently screwed on, warning that “in case of unauthorized entry into a protected facility, weapons will be used.”
When, a couple of hours after the start of the rally, the leaders of the united front left the podium, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev drove up to it. The crowd greeted him more than unfriendly, with whistles and hooting. But we must give him his due, this did not stop the prime minister. One of the recent opposition leaders, Mr. Atambayev, immediately and without false modesty told the audience that in the 12 days that he headed the government, he “did what should have been done in two years.” This was an attack not only against ex-Prime Minister Felix Kulov, but also against President Bakiyev himself.
Almazbek Atambayev said that the government signed the day before a new version of the constitution, which has already been sent to parliament. “The document meets the demands of the people better than other proposed options,” the prime minister said. “For comparison: in the opposition version of the basic law, the prime minister is appointed by the president, and in ours, by the parliament.” Mr. Atambayev called “not to believe deceivers.” And added: “I will immediately resign after the adoption of the constitution by parliament!”
Mr. Atambaev did not deceive. He firmly hopes that the parliamentary faction supporting him will again nominate him as a candidate for prime minister, and the deputies will approve this proposal. But Atambayev is sure that the parliament, as in January, will not allow Felix Kulov to become prime minister. Therefore, in their version, the “front-line soldiers” were forced to provide for the presentation of the head of the cabinet by the president. And this looks in the “eyes of the people” as an additional power of the president. Thus, Mr. Atambayev looks even more of a “progressive” in terms of limiting the powers of Kurmanbek Bakiyev than the opposition.
It’s strange, but the situation is turning out in such a way that Felix Kulov’s desire to preserve the current composition of parliament and achieve the early resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiev is working against the opposition leader. It is the deputies, primarily concerned with preserving their powers until the end of their term expiring in 2010, who will again determine the winner in the confrontation between the president and the opposition. And it is Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, who is gradually taking the reins of real government in the country, who may thus turn out to be “in charge of Kyrgyzstan.” But obviously not for long. People who know him assure that this 50-year-old politician will very quickly “break his neck” trying to impose his ideas about power on the president.
In the meantime, all this looks like a projection for the future, which depends on what compromise is found between the Kulov Front and the White House in the coming days. After all, an opposition rally cannot end in anything.
As for the new constitution of Kyrgyzstan, the third in the last six months, it will go to parliament for discussion no earlier than it will undergo an examination by the constitutional court. But while this body is understaffed, deputies must elect one more judge. Even if the Kyrgyz authorities are quick to make a decision, this will take at least one or two weeks. But the opposition rally is not designed for that much.