Report from Kyrgyzstan - the last democracy in Central Asia

In Kyrgyzstan there is a saying "there are many travelers, and the poor have politicians." In the Kyrgyz language, the words “journey” and “politics” are similar in writing, and thus residents of the state with a population of five million people are ironic, first of all, over themselves. A few hours before the start of the presidential elections in the country, the situation is so tense that almost every person in Kyrgyzstan can tell everything about potential winners and consequences of the election on October 15.

What will happen to the country after this date is difficult to predict. The number of candidates in the 2017 presidential election decreased to ten (one of them-Azimbek Beknazarov-generally withdrew from the race directly on the air of national debate), far ahead of the surveys, the ex-prime minister Zheronbai Jeenbekov and in every possible way discredited by this ex-prime minister Omurbec Babanov. The war of candidates and compromising evidence continued until the very last day, and it is obvious that, whoever won, he does not need to wait for a calm life.

Voltage 220 machines

In fairness, sayings about politicians are already convinced on the road from the airport: the taxi driver told me for more than 40 minutes in a row, how many shortcomings each of the candidates has. But most of all, the current president Almazbek Atambayev got, because of which the whole people "suffer from." We are talking about the emotional match on October 7, when Atambaev poured out the reasons for the neighboring Kazakhstan, thereby trying to reduce the level of confidence in the opposition candidate, which, as it seems to him, supports Astana.

Astana was offended: on the border with Kyrgyzstan, checkpoints from machine gunners and employees of the National Security Committee immediately appeared, and the number of cars passing per day only on the Ak Zhol post decreased to 48 per day (data of October 13 - V.P. ) instead of the standard five thousand. The worst of all at the Ak Tilek post: this is the only place where a truck can drive in Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan, and real blood pressure is arranged for truckers.

On Saturday morning, October 14, on the fourth day after the start of the “blockade”, 220 cars stood in a four -kilometer traffic jam. People from the beginning of the line for the third day languished without visible prospects.

“We have a complete search,” says the driver from Karaganda, who could drive out of turn, but stands, because “I will go out as a brother-kyrgyz.” - Yesterday we went to the post of talking [with border guards]. They said - the team entered the top with each car for two hours to inspect. We asked at least 40-50 cars per day to skip, but in response-we can’t!

On the third day, many drivers seemed to come to terms with their fate: one of the locals brought a fishing rod for fishing in a neighboring pond, food merchants come to the post periodically. Another entertainment is to consider losses.

According to drivers, they lose up to $ 1,000 per day.

One of the drivers in the car for 200 thousand dollars is Kyrgyz clothes for Russia. But at least he may not worry about the safety of the cargo: in about half the trucks perishable products - fruits and vegetables. Those who cost the third day have a maximum of two more days in reserve to bring at least part of the cargo. But no one builds big illusions: at night the number of skilled machines is sharply reduced, but in general the whole situation, according to drivers, will be “until the 25th”.

At a nearby post, where everyone drives, smaller cars, but it is also necessary to wait an average of 12-14 hours. A video is widespread on the Internet, in which people try to break through the barrage detachment of border guards: someone succeeds, someone is stopped with clubs. But on October 14, nothing of the kind was there - though, in many ways because people simply stopped going across the border without a strong need.

In general, the full -fledged border “blockade” from Kazakhstan is amazing: in Kyrgyzstan itself they say that this is the personal resentment of Nursultan Nazarbayev at the attack of Atambayev’s attack on him.

In the week, two presidents could meet in Sochi on the forum of the CIS heads, but Atambayev did not go there, referring to a large number of problems before the elections. Instead of the president with Nazarbayev, Prime Minister Sapar Isakov crossed, after which a record appeared on his Facebook that "after negotiations, President Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the Kazakhstan government to remove all the issues that have formed on the border." The next day, however, the press service of the Kazakh government officially refuted the fact of any negotiations, but in Kyrgyzstan they said that Nazarbayev promised to help, not talk. By the evening of October 14, this was still inconspicuous: people crossing the border reported that in some points the passes have to stand for five hours-and they deliberately slow down the process, first of all, Kazakhstani border guards.

On October 13, at the “Ak Tilek” point, after five hours of waiting, a 70-year-old woman died, who was traveling to the funeral with her husband.

“Planned work is underway. The control around the entire perimeter of the state border of Kazakhstan is enhanced. The media focused on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz section due to the statements of Atambayev. As far as I know, in connection with the presidential election, similar measures were taken by other neighboring states. This is a normal practice, ” - Kazakhstan sites give the answer to the Minister of Information and Communications of Kazakhstan Dauren Abaev on the situation on the border. Like, there are too many violations: in three days 78 out of 447 cars rode with an advantage, irregular dimensions and so on; And also seven buses were put to the parking lot, the drivers of which did not have a license for transportation. What was to keep everyone else and put up machine gunners - the minister did not explain.

We will be engaged in engaging about it

Relations with Kazakhstan are one of the main topics in Kyrgyzstan, and it is all the more amazing that in their election speeches of recent days, candidates carefully bypass her.

On Thursday, the next round of nationwide debates on local television took place (12 at the time of the distribution of the lot of candidates were divided into three four), and not a word was said about the situation on the border. But a lot was said about corruption, about the need to increase salaries of judges, about the separation of law enforcement agencies from politics. Kyrgyz journalists could follow the Debats’s progress in the Bishkek Bar - the politically savvy leadership of the institution organized a special show. Constantly interrupted by sounds from local disco

Candidates caused frank disappointment with their same type (it got to the point that one candidate almost literally repeated everything for the previous one),

And the only interesting point was only the self -assign of Azimbek Beknazarov live.

Some candidates talked about the problem with Kazakhstan with the “new” next day - but without much hunting. One of the favorites of the race Omurbek Babanov noted that "we must clearly realize that we cannot build relations on mutual reproaches with neighboring countries."

“All that is happening within the country is their (Kazakhstan - V.P. ) The case,” Babanov said. - You saw reproaches [from Atambayev], and this caused an adequate reaction. I went to meet with Nazarbayev - and everything was fine. And then Atambaev spoke out - and everything immediately closed.

Actually, Babanov all began with the trip of Babanov: Almazbek Atambayev almost openly declares that this trip is an attempt by Kazakhstan to influence the elections in Kyrgyzstan, putting the candidate for the post that they benefited. “A people with a three thousand -year -old history will never be afraid of a three -day blockade and never for money or under pressure and threats will choose foreign“ sixes ”,” said the President of Kyrgyzstan on October 13. Babanov himself does not say who initiated an unfortunate meeting (“I will answer this question after the 15th day”), but does not see anything wrong with the fact that the candidate did not go from the authorities to meet with the leader of a neighboring country. And who is not normal - look at the USA and Europe.

- I want to say that I have great respect for Nazarbayev, Mirziyev and Putin. Let the people judge themselves what the president he is. But what Nazarbayev conducts economic reforms, I see. I admire them! - says Babanov.

Another candidate - Taalatbek Masadykov (in different polls can be seen in fourth or fifth place in a potential set of votes) - also nods at Atambayev as the main stimulus of the conflict, but believes that common sense will prevail, and everyone will make peace again.

- I think people will appear people who will solve this issue. The same Russia [can help] - why not, says Masadykov. - The head of state could say that the peoples should live peacefully, it is impossible for working moments [turn into conflict].

By the way, Putin seems to have tried to tell Nazarbayev something on this on the sidelines of the Sochi Forum-at least in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan hoped for this. But another candidate-also the former Prime Minister Temir Sariev-is sure that it will be difficult to solve this problem anyway.

“If a pro -government candidate wins, the Kazakhstan side will perceive him as an successor of the current government,” Sariev is sure. - Then he will have to make great efforts to relieve tension. I don't know in what form. If the opposition candidate wins, relations are adjusted much faster.

Very strange internal affairs

In general, presidential candidates probably simply do not have time to distribute statements on foreign policy. The current election campaign is called some of them the most dirty over the entire existence of independent Kyrgyzstan.

The war of compromises is at several levels.

The main level is power. Here I would like to say that the game goes against everyone, but the objectivity is such that exclusively the candidate from the opposition Omurbek Babanov falls under the distribution. On Friday, October 13, the Kyrgyz National Security Committee transferred materials to the General Prosecutor General on the scandalous performance of Babanov in the south of the country, where he allegedly called on the Uzbek minority "to die while living on his knees." But Babanov claims that he had in mind that one should not vote for the candidate being imposed, but must be chosen with his heart. Local security officers, for whom the profile of Almazbek Atambayev is clearly visible, believe that Babanov made a disturbance in his own words against the authorities and power structures, and even no matter whether there was installation there or not.

The protege of the authorities of the Sooronbai Jeenbekov is deprived of such worries, so it allows himself more than others. During the television, with Babanov, he said that he would fight corruption and would just start with his opponent. Here Zheenbekov completely repeats Atambaev, who promises to deal with Babanov until December 1. It is, first of all, about the suddenly arising case about planning the coup after the elections: the supposedly supporter of the opposition was handed out the money to local bandits so that they arranged riots immediately after the elections. Babanov calls it the “unexpected” scale of “dirt”.

- Why plant me? - He is indignant. - For the fact that I went to the polls? Or for the fact that people whom I have never seen in my life have been expressed against me for far -fetched accusations? They ( the authorities - V.P. ) attribute me an ethnic disturbance. I will not succeed in a nationalist. Before that, I was criticized that I was not Kyrgyz, now I suddenly became a nationalist. Tomorrow on television, they can hang my portrait and say: it turns out, not Babanov, but Petrov. And you can’t do anything: the country has absolute lawlessness!

Other candidates also found themselves among the “victims” from information wars: the name Temir Sariev, who is called the contender for “bronze” in the election race, was associated with an audio recording in which he was talking with the Kazakh businessman close to Nazarbayev, Bulat Utemuratov Bulat. We are talking about some completely incomprehensible agreements and that Utemuratov "forgot his brother" and "does not help him." The headquarters of Sariev was officially said: this is a cut from different conversations that are not related, but then there is nothing wrong with it, the candidate did not work out to “denigrate”.

Another level is a media war. Here, the candidate from the party of the authorities also has a certain advantage, but it is not decisive. General and affiliated with him newspapers and television channels openly act openly behind the Uboronbai Jeenbekov. They work on the principle of “the worse about the enemy, the better”: the newspaper “Evening Bishkek”, for example, in the room before the election, dedicated two lanes “revealing” materials about Babanova at once. True, this did not prevent her from giving her a place under a large photo of the same Babanov with his agitation - there is money.

Babanov himself also has its own media resources-a TV channel, a newspaper, several sites. There, the tactics are somewhat different: they try to expose Babanov in a more profitable light compared to the rest, but it looks like an attempt to respond to lunges from competitors. But the latest accusations, rather, added to Babanov popularity: of several residents of Bishkek, there were a majority of residents of Bishkek on the street. “It's tired of this stable swamp,” said one of the respondents. But here we must clarify: the effect of Babanov’s popularity is not only the “merit” of the authorities itself, which has achieved exactly the reverse result, attempts to discredit, but also a consequence of an unprecedented in scale of visual agitation in favor of the opposition

(among the people for this, he received the nickname "Babanner").

Finally, the third war is in sociology. Publishing survey services, controlled by the state, prophesy the haranebay Zheenbekova to win in the first round, and Babanov’s only 20% of support. Babanov himself talks about 65% of his popularity - but, like its ideological opponents, does not lead any evidence.

Both are worse

Candidates explain the similar scandalousness to the “children's growth disease”, as well as the lack of formed political culture and the youth of democracy. But it is already quite obvious: these elections will be very strange. A huge number of problems - low GDP per capita (1300 dollars), broken roads, huge unemployment, crazy corruption. Temir Sariev said, for example, that places in the parliament of the country are simply bought - from here the term “party corruption” went. And traffic cops are a model of corruption at the bottom level: they ask for a bribe in any case - even if you have not violated anything. No wonder: with a salary of 15 thousand soms - 12,500 rubles - this is an obvious way to earn money.

And even taking into account this heap, problems still do not leave the feeling that the main candidates are terribly far from the people and think exclusively about the chair, and not about specific decisions for the country's policy or economy. The same Babanov announced the need to destroy “corruption schemes”, but did not propose specific actions. One solution, however, is: this is a complete translation of computerization and in all the activities of the state. For candidates, this is a kind of fetish, because everyone talks about it. But an attempt to replace talk about the average salary of $ 200-300 even in the capital looks like a mockery.

The result of the elections on October 15 is absolutely unpredictable. It is only obvious that the main opponent does not recognize the victory of any candidate in the first round.

Therefore, many people hope for the second round, although this will only delay the problem: the struggle will go for the votes of the owners of the third and fourth places, and these are Sariev and Masadykov, who have not yet decided on their preferences. TC that any result and in the second round the loser will be perceived as illegitimate.

But this is still better than if the candidate were one for many years in a row, my interlocutors are stipulated.

In Kyrgyzstan they love Russia very much and frankly nostalgic for the Soviet Union, when Kyrgyz and Russian were brothers. But in politics they prefer a constant change of people in power - and, preferably, non -violent. In case of the last option on the central streets of Bishkek, an employee of riot police was placed on Saturday every 50 meters.

Bishkek