Baktybek Abdrisaev

Baktybek Abdrisaev was Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to the United States from 1997 to 2005 and is now a visiting professor of history and political science at Utah Valley University.

Spring: coming soon to Central Asia?

All across the world, authoritarian governments are crashing, and new forms of democratic and term-limited regimes are arriving in their place. Sooner or later this wave will reach Central Asia. When it does, the Kyrgyz model of slow political and economic reform might be the most effective way to

By Baktybek Abdrisaev and Alexey Semyonov

/ 21 Feb 2012

The road to electoral perfection in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s October parliamentary elections revealed a number of teething problems in law and systems, write Alexey Semyonov, Baktybek Abdrisaev and Kuban Taabaldiev. The Kyrgyz electoral bodies would be well minded to adopt an holistic approach to solving them — from the introduction of technolo

By Baktybek Abdrisaev, Alexey Semyonov and Kuban Taabaldiev

/ 18 Nov 2010

Kyrgyzstan: reform starts with education

Kyrgyzstan could be the first Central Asian parliamentary democracy. But the southern region has first to be reconciled and stabilized. The way forward is to use the well established Kyrgyz traditions of education to teach acceptance of ethnic diversity in schools and universities, explain Scott H

By Baktybek Abdrisaev and Scott Horton

/ 18 Oct 2010

Kyrgyz elections: the birth of democracy?

Recent parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were declared free and fair, but Russia and its Central Asian neighbours feel threatened by Kyrgyz democracy. Will the country be able to juggle its relations with them and with China and USA? Baktybek Abdrisaev wonders if President Bakiyev’s dark legac

By Baktybek Abdrisaev

/ 12 Oct 2010

Kyrgyzstan’s referendum brings a flicker of hope

The new constitution which the Kyrgyz people voted in on 27 June 2010 seeks to break the presidential pattern of government. But the recent violent upheaval has left the government weak. America and Russia both need Kyrgyzstan to thrive as a country ruled neither by despotism nor fundamentalism. T

By Baktybek Abdrisaev, Scott Horton and Alexey Semyonov

/ 14 Jul 2010

Kickstarting the Kyrgyz economy

On 8 April 2010 Kyrgyzstan experienced its second revolution in five years. The corrupt regime of President Bakiev fell as citizens rebelled after government troops opened fire on protesters, killing more than 80 people and wounding 1500. The new interim government is now preparing elections.

By Baktybek Abdrisaev and Alexey Semyonov

/ 12 May 2010