A week after controversial parliamentary elections on 4 October, Kyrgyzstan is in a political stalemate. The elections were mired by widespread reports of voter bribery by pro-establishment parties which managed to win a majority of parliamentary seats. The following day, peaceful protesters amassed on Bishkek streets demanding new elections. They were met with police violence. In retaliation, angry mobs broke into president Sooronbay Jeenbekov’s headquarters, demanding his resignation. The president’s allies in parliament elected Sadyr Japarov, a nationalist with a criminal background, to lead the government.
This is Kyrgyzstan’s third attempt since independence from the Soviet Union to remove a sitting president and establish a more inclusive political system. In 2005 and again in 2010, thousands gathered in central Bishkek demanding better governance and less corruption. In both cases, the people succeeded in eventually forcing out the incumbent. Kyrgyzstan has been titillating between increasing authoritarianism and a bottom-up push for greater political representation.
Such political transitions are disruptive. In the capital, protests evolve into a citywide looting frenzy with mobs tearing down shops and small businesses across the capital. Interim political coalitions emerge to capitalise on chaos and capture government offices by ignoring popular grievances – endemic corruption, unemployment and ineffective governance. Political operatives with a criminal background or connections to organised crime rise to the top.
