Akayev flees Kyrgystan
President Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan fled the country’s capital today after protesters stormed his headquarters, seized control of state television and rampaged through government offices.
Kyrgyzstan’s newly restored parliament later elected former opposition politician Ishenbai Kadyrbekov interim president, but it was not immediately clear whether the vote was legal.
Legislators in the upper house of the country’s reconvened former parliament, meeting with some politicians elected in disputed parliamentary elections weeks ago, voted 44-0 with two abstentions to name Mr Kadyrbekov president.
The lower chamber did not immediately approve the choice, which lawmakers in the body said needed their approval under the law. Even an upper house member, Temir Sariyev, said: "Nobody knows what is legitimate right now.”
The late-night vote came as politicians scrambled to set up legitimate bodies of power after opposition protesters seized the government headquarters and drove President Akayev out of power, and to restore order amid looting in the capital Bishkek.
Legislators also named Felix Kulov, a popular opposition leader who was released from prison today, to be in charge of all law enforcement agencies, and told the Coordinating Council of National Unity, headed by prominent opposition leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev, to make nominations for government posts by tomorrow morning.
Mr Bakiyev said on opposition-controlled state television that “Akayev is no longer on the territory of Kyrgyzstan”. He also said Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev had resigned, but that the security, interior and defence ministries were working with the opposition.
The Interfax news agency, without citing sources, said Mr Akayev had flown to Russia, but it later said he changed course for Kazakhstan and landed there.
Shortly after the demonstrators streamed into the government headquarters, opposition activist Ulan Shambetov sat in Mr Akayev’s chair in celebration, another demonstrator holding a Kyrgyz flag triumphantly behind him.
“It’s not the opposition that has seized power, it’s the people who have taken power. The people. They have been fighting for so long against corruption, against that (Akayev) family,” Mr Shambetov said.
Kyrgyz politics depends as much on clan ties as on ideology, and opposition figures have no unified programme beyond calls for more democracy, an end to poverty and corruption, and a desire to oust Mr Akayev, who has been in power in the former Soviet republic since independence was declared in 1991.
There is no sign that the opposition would change Kyrgyzstan’s policy toward Russia or the West – and unlike in successful recent anti-government protests in Georgia and Ukraine, foreign policy has not been an issue.
But any change would have impact, since both the US and Russia have cooperated with Mr Akayev and have military bases near Bishkek.
There is also no sign the opposition would be more amenable to Islamic fundamentalist influence than Mr Akayev’s government has been.
The takeover of government buildings in Bishkek followed similar seizures by opposition activists in southern Kyrgyzstan, including the second-largest city, Osh.
Those protests began even before the first round of parliamentary elections on February 27 and swelled after March 13 run-offs that the opposition said were seriously flawed. US and European officials concurred.
Mr Akayev’s reported resignation and flight came hours after hundreds of opposition supporters, protesting alleged fraud in parliamentary elections earlier this month, stormed government headquarters in Bishkek.
The Supreme Court later ruled the parliamentary elections invalid, said former parliament speaker Abdygany Erkebayev.
Celebration mixed with chaos tonight as thousands stayed on the main square outside the presidential headquarters.
