Postcard from Bishkek

Askar Akaev, the first President of Kyrgyzstan, once claimed that his only assets were two apartments and an old car.

On 25 October 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic, (KSSR), held elections for the newly created post of president of the republic.  There were two candidates:  Apas Jumagulov who was President of Council of Ministers and Absamat Masaliyev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party in the Republic.

Neither of the candidates were able to command a majority of the votes and as a result, (in accordance with the Republic’s constitution drawn up in 1978), both were disqualified and neither could run in the second round of voting.  Two days later, on October 27, the Supreme Soviet elected Askar Akaev, a physicist and, effectively, a compromise candidate.

A year later he was elected president by popular vote, in a plebiscite, and subsequently re-elected twice, in 1995 and 2000.  In 1991 it was an uncontested poll but he won the subsequent elections by overwhelming majorities – albeit amid allegations of ballot rigging.

Almost fifteen years later, Akaev fled the country in the maelstrom which became known as the Tulip Revolution.  He was granted asylum in Moscow where he now lives and works once more as a physicist.  Despite his protestations, few accepted his claim about his meagre possessions.

That was the first of two revolutions.  Following the 2010 revolution, Kurmanbek Bakiev, Akaev’s successor, together with some members of his family sought refuge in Minsk, Belarus, but one member of the family, (Maxim Bakiev), flew instead to the United Kingdom.  The allegations are that the Bakiev’s, (and especially Maxim), took away with them far more of the wealth of the country than just two apartments and an old car.

Last week, someone commented on the fact that I had passed over some fairly spectacular news: the arrest of Maksim Bakiev in Britain and his possible deportation to the States on allegations of insider dealing and other financial irregularities.  In my defence I pointed out that I had made two references to the story: the first to the fact that it was a breaking story the previous weekend … and the second was when I referred in last week’s postcard to the statements of the British embassy here in Bishkek.

Details of the possible case against Maksim have started to emerge: fraud, probably connected with the companies providing fuel to the Manas Transit base outside Bishkek; and insider trading using information he obtained in his official role in government to enable himself or his proxies to profit from trades in securities on the Stock Market.  As it happens, either of these could be pretty serious and lead to long term sentences providing that the authorities can eventually secure a conviction … which, will in all likelihood, not be until some time in the dim and distant future … that is, if it is ever achieved.

There is some speculation that the arrest could be simply a cynical ploy to put pressure on the authorities here concerning the future of Manas Transit Centre.  In many ways it seems rather convenient … in a way, everyone could benefit from the move – well, almost everyone.  The Americans gain a bargaining chip and a certain amount of kudos, the Brits get let off the hook on which Maksim impaled them back in June when he flew in and requested political asylum, and the Kyrgyz finally see Maksim getting his comeuppance.  Of course, Maksim himself, and the Russians, may not be all that pleased with the way that things are working out.

There is also a risk that attention is going to be concentrated on just one set of allegations … and there do seem to be quite a few flying around … Justice delivered on one count might help to mollify those who consider themselves victims on another, but then again, it will probably just leave an open sore to fester.

 

During the week there was a certain amount of disruption here in Bishkek as the police received an anonymous phone call saying that there was a bomb located in one of the city’s shopping centres.  The police admitted that they didn’t know which one had been targeted and if there was, indeed, an explosive device.  The buildings of three stores were evacuated and a search conducted of the premises.  It turns out that there wasn’t a bomb and it all just a hoax.

Although we have occasional bomb scare here, they have been exactly that – “occasional” – and usually associated with schools … kids trying to get out of lessons or postpone exams.   This incident seems to mark a fairly new phenomenon here – although I got quite used to the disruption caused by such anonymous calls back in London, twenty or thirty years ago.  On several occasions, now, I have surprised locals who seem to think that no-one would phone in a bomb threat  with an account of when I was on the receiving end of a threatening phone call, one morning in school … “Why do it?, there’s no point!”, they say.   I point out that a simple phone call can cause disruption, anxiety and “terror” even if there is no bomb – with little risk to the perpetrator, (assuming they have covered their tracks and aren’t using their own phone to make the call).

The worst thing about these phone calls is that people get used to them and stop taking them seriously … and then, suddenly, one turns out to be genuine.

Anyway, let’s hope that this turns out to be an “annoying little one off”.

 

Wednesday saw another form “annoyance” for some of my colleagues in another tour company.  It is one of the largest companies in the country with several offices throughout the city and the President of the company is particularly well known for being forceful and outspoken when expressing himself.  Now, I am also known for being opinionated and not exactly shy when it comes to giving an opinion, but I always try to be careful in what I say or write … but no matter careful one is, there is always the chance that what is said will cause offence.

Well, he was reported as saying that the people who took out loans, (whether as a mortgage on an appartment or to purchase an old car - for example from a microcredit company),  should pay their debts and not expect others to come to their rescue.  As a result, a group of about thirty women from the group which is mounting an ongoing protest in one of the city’s squares, took offence and marched on one of the company’s city centre offices … storming the office and demanding to see him.

 

In, what I take to be an attempt to avoid such “annoyances” between local communities and businesses, the government has proposed new measures for investors intending to take part in tenders for licenses … requiring that they include “social packages” in their bids.  These can include training and work places for the local community, developing infrastructure and facilities such as maintenance of roads and power resources, or providing various forms of social services.  This will help, it is hoped, to create transparency in the process: “Local communities will know what they will receive from development of the mine and investors will be provided with guarantees that they will not be required something beyond the social package”.

 

I don’t know exactly how “old” Askar Akaev’s car was, but I doubt if it would have been appropriate for Whacky Races or a car chase in am action film … such as seem to have been operated on the main road between Bishkek and the airport.   It seems that drivers reported that their cars were “attacked” in a village just outside the city limits by a group of about a hundred masked men, armed with sticks and stones.  According to some reports it was all to do with illegal car racing which seems to taken place in the neighbourhood.  Although the police had apparently received complaints from locals about the racing, nothing seems to have been done about it and so some of the locals decided that a little bit of vigilante justice was called for.

 

Talking of action movies, Maxim got back yesterday from a trip to the cinema where he had seen Skyfall – the latest James Bond movie … the 23rd in the series.  I was amazed because the release date was only on the 23rd – Tuesday.  Anyway it started a chat about the genre and how I remembered seeing the original in the cinema, Dr. No, something like fifty years ago and how it came as a complete shock to the system.   Anyway, hew really like the film and recommended that I go to see it.

 

In an interview with one of the local newspapers, the chairman of the National Security Committee outlined the relationships between different radical religious and nationalists organizations and he listed eight which have been banned by Kyrgyzstan: Al Qaeda, the Talidan, the Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkestan (formerly the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan), the Kurdish National Congress (Kongra Gel), the East Turkestan Liberation Organization, the Jihad group “Union of Islam Movement”, the Islamic Party of Turkestan and Hizb ut-Tahir.

 

There has been more controversy over alleged environmental violations caused by different companies – especially mining and the petrochemical industries.  We we are still awaiting for the report of the State Commission investigating the working of the Kumtor Gold Mine and another investigation has been established into the allocation of one mining license to a Chinese company … “for a small sum”.   All of this doesn’t bode well for the resumption of the planned tender process for a number of mining licences

 

No matter how “old” Askar Akaev’s car was, it would might well fare better on Kyrgyzstan’s roads now than when he was last here.  There have been a number of road building projects.

The Main Bishkek-Osh road was rebuilt many years ago, so long ago in fact that there are some people claiming that it needs some considerable work in  places.  Two of the country’s main roads lead to the border with China, either over the Toruagrt Pass in the Naryn oblast or the Irkeshtam pass, South of Osh.

The road through to Torugart is busy being rebuilt … most of the road, (but not yet all), up as far as Lake Issytk Kul is ready and also the section from Naryn down towards At Bashi.  Most of the work at the moment, or so it seems to me, is concentrated on the section between Kochkor and Naryn.  This means that my monthly journey up to our guest house there, which used to take me just over four hours, now takes six or more  - and can be pretty uncomfortable.  (As it happens, I am on my way up to Naryn today – twelve hours on the road over two days.)  When the work is finished, however, it will be a great boon.

Work on the rehabilitation of the 255 kilometre road between Osh, Sary Tash and Irkeshtam has apparently been completed.  I look forward to trying it out next year.

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Postcard from Bishkek: the weekly postcard that I send out as an email also gets posted on the website ianbek.kg each week – and there are other postcards which don’t get sent out.  This week, for example, there has been the following postcards:

• Hello Sailor! - Trafalgar Day may be a peculiarly British celebration – but what better day to take a look at the presence of the Russian Navy here in Kyrgyzstan?
• Sweet tooth - a brief look at sugar production here in Kyrgyzstan;
• Dealing with an intruder … - on this occasion it was not a human trying to rob the office, but a feline intruder trapped and unable to find an exit … but just as much a threat;
• Caves - Speliologists or “pot holers” may find lots of places to interest them here in Kyrgyzstan;
• Discussion Club -  invited to attend a session at a university, I am somewhat confused about the format;
• Where’s the fire? - why is there a tendency here to call important meetings at the drop of a hat … and does this hide a “hidden agenda”" – and if so … just what is it.

It is now possible to follow me on Facebook, (where I have specific pages for Celestial Mountains and ianbek … and also links.kg and Kyrgyz Diary), and on twitter, (@Bishkekpostcard and @celestialMTC ).

 

 

Tags: Expat, Life_in_Kyrgyzstan, Weekly_Postcards