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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Kyrgyzstan Choosing New Parliament |
| 2007-12-16 |
| BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) - Kyrgyz voters began casting Opposition groups have alleged that President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's government is planning to rig the election in an effort to oust his staunchest political rivals from the legislature. Bakiyev's Ak Jol party will face the Social Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, and the Ata Meken party led by former parliament speaker Omurbek Tekebayev. Nine smaller parties are also running, but are given little chance of getting into the single-chamber, 90-seat parliament. Bakiyev has been criticized for increasingly authoritarian policies in a country that has long been considered the most politically open among Central Asia's five predominantly Muslim nations. He has pledged a fair vote, saying Thursday that ``all will be honest.'' But opposition leaders have complained that their activists were subjected to intimidation nationwide during the campaign and local government officials were pressuring citizens to vote for Bakiyev's Ak Jol party. Opposition groups have said they will respond to any election fraud by taking to the streets, as they have repeatedly done in recent years. Alleged fraud during the 2005 parliamentary vote led to mass protests that drove President Askar Akayev from power. A new cycle of protests could hit Kyrgyzstan hard. Unlike its energy-rich neighbors, the largely agricultural nation of 5 million has limited resources and is one of the region's poorest. Security has also been on the decline; in the southern, most-populous regions, radical Islamic groups have gained followings since the 1991 Soviet collapse. Since assuming the presidency two years ago, Bakiyev has struggled with lawmakers over government appointments and the scope of presidential powers. Opposition forces frequently filled the center of the capital, Bishkek. Police cracked down in April, using tear gas and stun grenades to break up protests. In October, Bakiyev pushed through a referendum that changed the constitution; voters no longer elect individual candidates, they vote only for parties - and party leaders choose who gets into parliament. Parties now must receive at least 5 percent of the nationwide vote and at least 0.5 percent in each of the country's seven regions and its two largest cities to get seats in parliament. Critics say that in a country where politics are dictated by regional and clan allegiances, the law could be used to bar opposition parties. |
| Posted by:Steve White |