KYRGYZSTAN: Protests ahead of elections

BISHKEK, 24 Feb 2005 (IRIN) - With only a couple of days left before parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan, thousands of people are protesting against the recent court-ordered withdrawal of their candidates.

"We are not seeing the rule of law. We demand free and fair elections," Edil Baisalov, national coordinator of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, a local NGO, told IRIN in the capital, Bishkek, on Thursday.

"I cannot find the legal basis for the court's decision. It was not substantiated," Sergey Slesarev, a lawyer for Arslanbek Maliev, a candidate who was withdrawn from the polls by the decision of a district court on Monday, told IRIN.

Once considered "an island of democracy" in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is currently witnessing mass protests organised by supporters of the withdrawn parliamentary candidates.

The mass protests started at the beginning of this week in the north of the former Soviet republic, which has traditionally been seen as the most peaceful region of the country. People expressed their discontent by blocking several strategic roads, including the Bishkek-Torugart, Balykchy-Karakol and Bishkek-Osh highways.

On Thursday morning the number of protesters from Kochkor electoral district in central Naryn province totalled around 1,500. People built yurts (traditional Kyrgyz nomadic tents made of felt) as a symbol of the Kyrgyz love for freedom and completely blocked the Bishkek-Torugart road to China, a vital trade link. As a result, some 70 trucks were stopped. However, protesters allowed several cars carrying children or the elderly to pass through.

"Our main aim is the re-establishment of our candidates. Our rights are not being respected," Kachkyn Bolotov, a protester and rights activist of the Er Aidachy organisation, told IRIN from Kochkor district.

The situation is similar in Ton district, where about 1,000 people are demanding the restoration of the candidacy of Arslanbek Maliev, a moderate opposition figure. The protest started on Tuesday, when Maliev was withdrawn from the election by a decision of a district court. Following the ruling, people gathered in front of the district administration building and then blocked the Balykchy-Karakol road with stones and trees.

"People want the akim [governor] of Ton district to resign because everyone knows that Maliev's opponent - Askerbek Aliev - who appealed to the court is the alim's brother," Mambetamin Omurakunov of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society told IRIN from Balykchy.

Mass protests were also organised in the south. "In [southern] Aksy district there was a big meeting, as well as in Kerben," Baisalov said.

Last week there was a meeting in the southwestern city of Batken at which people discussed the elections, the results of privatisation and the fact that most privatised property now belonged to senior government officials, Azamat, who came to Bishkek to see his relatives, told IRIN.

According to the Central Electoral Committee (CEC), 389 parliamentary candidates were registered as of Tuesday, while the number in the previous list was 396. Following accusation of voter bribery by their opponents, seven candidates were withdrawn from the election campaign by district court rulings.

The cases in which candidates have been withdrawn from the polls are very similar. Most of the seven candidates were found guilty of alleged violations of election rules.

"The decisions are unfair. Some of them were taken without the participation of candidates," said Baisalov.

Late on Wednesday, the CEC gave in and restored the candidacy of Sadyr Japarov from Tiup electoral district in northeastern Issykkul province.

Meanwhile, the pro-government Kyrgyzinfo news agency quoted Deputy General Prosecutor Uchkun Karimov as saying that candidates could appeal to the Supreme Court on the issue.

"Our case was transferred to the Supreme Court only on Wednesday at around eight o'clock in the evening. We hope that in two days we will get the answer," lawyer Slesarev told IRIN.

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