Bishkek installs first parliamentary government of nation, and Central Asia
Bishkek (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The new coalition government of Kyrgyzstan was installed yesterday after having won a confidence vote in Parliament, on 17 December. Now all are waiting to see how it will address the many problems at home and abroad, from the difficult economic situation and the reconciliation between the country and the minority ethnic Uzbeks.
It took over two months to form a government after the October 10 vote resulted in 120 seats divided among five parties of very distant positions. The coalition brings together the Respublika party (23 seats), the Social Democratic Party (PSD, 26 seats) and the Ata-Zhurt Party (Az, 28) and counts on 77 seats. The PSD leader Almazbek Atambaev, considered to have pro-Russian positions, was elected Prime Minister by 92 votes.
The agreement was difficult and the parliament in early December rejected a coalition government including the Ata-merken party (18 seats) but without the majority Ata-Zhurt, of nationalist leaning and considered by many to be related to former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Bakiyev was ousted by street protests in April. The AZ Party had strongly opposed the vote, preferring a presidential state.
Akhmatbek Keldibekov, leader of Az, a party that includes many former Bakiyev government representatives, was named speaker of parliament with 101 votes. The Council Cabinet received 88 votes and the leader of Respublika, Omuerbek Babanov, is deputy.
The new prime minister, in his speech before the vote, reiterated that "the nation must not be guided by a single family”, with clear reference to the rampant nepotism under the former president Bakyev.
In domestic policy, the government is faced with a serious crisis that sees hundreds of thousands of impoverished families and a chronic shortage of energy that damages businesses and home life. In addition there is the difficult reconciliation between the country and the minority ethnic Uzbeks who accused the military of having helped the ethnic Kyrgyz to assault them and cause approximately 2 thousand dead in clashes last June.
In the international arena, the country is courted by Russia, the United States and even China, for its strategic location. It is the only country that hosts both a U.S. and Russian air base. Atambaev has been said that his first visit as premier will be to Russia, "because Russia is and always has been our strategic partner."
Now the interim government, led by Roza Otumbayeva, has passed the command to the first parliamentary government in the country and the entire Central Asia. However its true plans for action will only begin to emerge in the next meeting of parliament on December 23.
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