TINY and turbulent, Kyrgyzstan likes to tout itself as a trailblazer for democracy in Central Asia, a region otherwise presided over by autocrats. The former Soviet republic of 6m has “proven to the world that it is a democratic country”, its new president, Sooronbay Jeyenbekov (pictured), trumpeted triumphantly as he was sworn into office in November. But the unusually competitive election that brought him to power may have been less an affirmation of democracy than its last gasp.
Mr Jeyenbekov was making history. In the 26 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, his election marked Central Asia’s first peaceful handover of power from one democratically elected leader to another. But the election was flawed. Mr Jeyenbekov, a dour 59-year-old, has admitted that it was marred by vote-buying. International observers were also troubled by media bias and the strong-arming of civil servants to vote for Mr Jeyenbekov, who was prime minister at the time and had been endorsed by the...Continue reading
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