The History of Kyrgyz Revolutions.
January 1, 2024
Kyrgyzstan stands out from all the countries of the former Soviet Union in terms of the frequency of changes in power. Indeed, presidents in Kyrgyzstan often do not wait for the end of their term and leave their post as a result of a revolution.
This peculiarity of Kyrgyzstan, in my opinion, is explained by the unique mentality of the Kyrgyz people as a nation. The fact is that until recently, namely before the arrival of the Russian Empire in 1876, the Kyrgyz led a nomadic way of life. Kyrgyzstan was a union of 40 tribes, each of which had its own khan. The overall leader of the people was summoned only when the Kyrgyz faced external danger. They united under a single leadership for military purposes, repelled enemy attacks, and then continued to live their own lives. Kyrgyz people were not used to being under someone's rule, especially if they felt injustice in governance or restrictions on their freedom.
Below is the chronology of Kyrgyz revolutions:
In early March 2005, mass riots began in several cities of Kyrgyzstan. Protests were held due to disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections. The Supreme Court annulled the election results. President Askar Akayev fled to Moscow and on April 5 resigned. One of the opposition leaders, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, became the acting president. The events were dubbed the "Tulip Revolution" after the symbol of the protests.
On April 6, 2010, mass protests began in Kyrgyzstan due to the arrest of opposition members. On April 7, the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, Almazbek Atambayev, was detained. On the same day, riots broke out in Bishkek and several other cities. Protesters seized administrative buildings, the residence of President Bakiyev was looted and burned. The government resigned, most of the opposition members were released. The Temporary Government of People's Trust, formed by the opposition, was led by former Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan and one of the opposition leaders, Roza Otunbayeva. On April 15, ousted President Bakiyev signed a statement of resignation and left – first to Kazakhstan, and then to Belarus.
On May 19, the temporary government proclaimed Roza Otunbayeva as the president of the transitional period. On October 30, 2011, Almazbek Atambayev was elected president of the country, receiving 63.2% of the votes.
Unlike most presidents of Central Asian countries, Almazbek Atambayev did not attempt to extend his term after the specified period by the Constitution and transferred power to the elected president from the SDPK party, Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
In June 2019, the parliament of the republic stripped him of his status as ex-president and immunity due to charges brought against him, which led to the initiation of several criminal cases.
The Kyrgyz protests of 2020 (also known as the Kyrgyz Revolution of 2020 or the Third Kyrgyz Revolution) began on October 5, 2020, in response to the parliamentary elections held the day before, which were perceived by protesters as unfair, with allegations of vote rigging. The election results were annulled. President Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bishkek, which was approved by the parliament the next day. Jeenbekov resigned on October 15, 2020.
This peculiarity of Kyrgyzstan, in my opinion, is explained by the unique mentality of the Kyrgyz people as a nation. The fact is that until recently, namely before the arrival of the Russian Empire in 1876, the Kyrgyz led a nomadic way of life. Kyrgyzstan was a union of 40 tribes, each of which had its own khan. The overall leader of the people was summoned only when the Kyrgyz faced external danger. They united under a single leadership for military purposes, repelled enemy attacks, and then continued to live their own lives. Kyrgyz people were not used to being under someone's rule, especially if they felt injustice in governance or restrictions on their freedom.
Below is the chronology of Kyrgyz revolutions:
In early March 2005, mass riots began in several cities of Kyrgyzstan. Protests were held due to disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections. The Supreme Court annulled the election results. President Askar Akayev fled to Moscow and on April 5 resigned. One of the opposition leaders, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, became the acting president. The events were dubbed the "Tulip Revolution" after the symbol of the protests.
On April 6, 2010, mass protests began in Kyrgyzstan due to the arrest of opposition members. On April 7, the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, Almazbek Atambayev, was detained. On the same day, riots broke out in Bishkek and several other cities. Protesters seized administrative buildings, the residence of President Bakiyev was looted and burned. The government resigned, most of the opposition members were released. The Temporary Government of People's Trust, formed by the opposition, was led by former Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan and one of the opposition leaders, Roza Otunbayeva. On April 15, ousted President Bakiyev signed a statement of resignation and left – first to Kazakhstan, and then to Belarus.
On May 19, the temporary government proclaimed Roza Otunbayeva as the president of the transitional period. On October 30, 2011, Almazbek Atambayev was elected president of the country, receiving 63.2% of the votes.
Unlike most presidents of Central Asian countries, Almazbek Atambayev did not attempt to extend his term after the specified period by the Constitution and transferred power to the elected president from the SDPK party, Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
In June 2019, the parliament of the republic stripped him of his status as ex-president and immunity due to charges brought against him, which led to the initiation of several criminal cases.
The Kyrgyz protests of 2020 (also known as the Kyrgyz Revolution of 2020 or the Third Kyrgyz Revolution) began on October 5, 2020, in response to the parliamentary elections held the day before, which were perceived by protesters as unfair, with allegations of vote rigging. The election results were annulled. President Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bishkek, which was approved by the parliament the next day. Jeenbekov resigned on October 15, 2020.
You can learn even more interesting facts about Kyrgyzstan on my blog or on my YouTube channel.
author:
Larisa Bulina
Larisa Bulina
photo:
Abylai Saralaev
Abylai Saralaev
The traveler,
the founder of SARYKYZ
the founder of SARYKYZ