Another former Soviet republic has staged a revolt against corrupt elections and government, with Kyrgyzstan's so-called Tulip Revolution last week. Although it is perhaps too soon to compare Kyrgyzstan with democratic movements in Georgia or Ukraine, it is a promising start for the Central Asian republic.
Kyrgyzstan appeared to be one of the more liberal states created out of the Soviet Union's breakup in 1990. President Askar Akayev was widely viewed as pro-democratic, but turned to a more authoritarian style of ruling in order to increase his power. Demonstrations against Akayev's corrupt government and possibly rigged elections began early last week and culminated when protestors stormed the presidential building last Thursday. Akayev quickly fled the country once chaos broke out.
The international press has been quick to point out that there is no defined opposition leader, as there was in Georgia or Ukraine during their quick upheavals to democracy. Kyrgyzstani society is still based on tribal structures, with a notable rift between the north and the south. However, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, an opposition leader, has been named acting Prime Minister and has pledged to hold new elections in June.
While most applaud the apparent spread of democracy in the former Soviet republics, the international community must ensure that these reform movements are not just ploys for opposition candidates to contest election results that do not swing in their favor. The fragmented structure of Kyrgyzstan's politics may mean that a ruler even more corrupt than Akayev could come into power.
Overall, it is good to see Moscow's influence over its former Soviet countries diminishing. While Russian president Vladimir Putin is unlikely to rejoice at the democratic leaders who rise to power by promising to reduce dependency on Russia, he has not denounced the Tulip Revolution as much as he did the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Putin must
understand that the West supports the democratic reformers and does not
want to further strain relations
with the European Union or the United States.
It is important for countries like Kyrgyzstan to assert their independence from Russia in order to create a democratic society. They must not swap dependency on Moscow for dependency on Europe, China or the United States. Although Kyrgyzstan is largely poverty-stricken, it must find a way to peacefully bring order and democracy to the country. Looting, chaos and the uncertainty of who would take over leadership of the country have characterized the past week. The international community, led by the United Nations, should help Kyrgyzstan create the nation its people want.
