Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BISHKEK466
2009-05-14 10:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:
AK JOL BACKS KYRGYZ PRESIDENT BAKIYEV'S REELECTION
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000466
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KG
SUBJECT: AK JOL BACKS KYRGYZ PRESIDENT BAKIYEV'S REELECTION
Classified By: A/DCM Robert Burgess, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000466
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KG
SUBJECT: AK JOL BACKS KYRGYZ PRESIDENT BAKIYEV'S REELECTION
Classified By: A/DCM Robert Burgess, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) The pro-Presidential Ak Jol Party held its Party
Congress May 1, endorsing incumbent President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev as its candidate for the July 23 Presidential
election. The meeting followed a Soviet-era script with
loyal farmers, workers, teachers, retirees, and others
heralding Bakiyev's achievements and singing a new Ak Jol
Party anthem. One speaker even praised Bakiyev's "courage"
in closing Manas Air Base.
2. (SBU) Embassy observers, who were invited to attend the
event, noted little discourse among the delegates, many of
whom appeared to sleep through the event. Seated in the
audience near Prime Minister Chudinov, Embassy overheard one
party insider whisper to Chudinov his hope that the party
platform, plans, and charter amendments would be adopted
immediately, as debate, in his view, was not needed.
3. (C) In fact, the Party took steps to make sure there was
no real debate at the Congress. A week prior to the event,
the Ak Jol political council expelled deputy party leader
Elmira Ibraimova. Ibraimova had made a public appeal to Ak
Jol members to hold off endorsing a candidate until Bakiyev
answered some tough questions about his and the government's
performance. Interestingly, even though the Congress took
place just seven weeks after the suspicious death of Ak Jol
founder and former Bakiyev Chief of Staff Medet Sadyrkulov,
and even though many insiders suspect Bakiyev family
involvement in the death -- there was no discord over
Sadyrkulov's death during the Congress.
4. (SBU) Most of the proceedings took place in Kyrgyz, with
only a few speakers addressing the Congress in Russian.
(Note: The main opposition political gathering, which took
place in late April to nominate former Prime Minister Almaz
Atambayev as its Presidential candidate, also was conducted
largely in Kyrgyz. End Note.)
5. (SBU) Representatives of the ruling parties of the
Russian Federation, China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan attended
the Ak Jol Congress to express support. Since its 2007
creation, Ak Jol has achieved electoral dominance (often
through disputed vote counts) and may view the Russian,
Chinese, Kazakh and Tajik parties as models to emulate. Ak
Jol inked cooperation agreements with the Russian and Tajik
parties.
6. (C) Comment: Bakiyev's selection as the Ak Jol candidate
was widely anticipated, and given the Kyrgyz White House's
past predilections of using administrative resources to
stymie opposition candidates, Bakiyev's reelection is also
generally expected.
GFOELLER
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KG
SUBJECT: AK JOL BACKS KYRGYZ PRESIDENT BAKIYEV'S REELECTION
Classified By: A/DCM Robert Burgess, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) The pro-Presidential Ak Jol Party held its Party
Congress May 1, endorsing incumbent President Kurmanbek
Bakiyev as its candidate for the July 23 Presidential
election. The meeting followed a Soviet-era script with
loyal farmers, workers, teachers, retirees, and others
heralding Bakiyev's achievements and singing a new Ak Jol
Party anthem. One speaker even praised Bakiyev's "courage"
in closing Manas Air Base.
2. (SBU) Embassy observers, who were invited to attend the
event, noted little discourse among the delegates, many of
whom appeared to sleep through the event. Seated in the
audience near Prime Minister Chudinov, Embassy overheard one
party insider whisper to Chudinov his hope that the party
platform, plans, and charter amendments would be adopted
immediately, as debate, in his view, was not needed.
3. (C) In fact, the Party took steps to make sure there was
no real debate at the Congress. A week prior to the event,
the Ak Jol political council expelled deputy party leader
Elmira Ibraimova. Ibraimova had made a public appeal to Ak
Jol members to hold off endorsing a candidate until Bakiyev
answered some tough questions about his and the government's
performance. Interestingly, even though the Congress took
place just seven weeks after the suspicious death of Ak Jol
founder and former Bakiyev Chief of Staff Medet Sadyrkulov,
and even though many insiders suspect Bakiyev family
involvement in the death -- there was no discord over
Sadyrkulov's death during the Congress.
4. (SBU) Most of the proceedings took place in Kyrgyz, with
only a few speakers addressing the Congress in Russian.
(Note: The main opposition political gathering, which took
place in late April to nominate former Prime Minister Almaz
Atambayev as its Presidential candidate, also was conducted
largely in Kyrgyz. End Note.)
5. (SBU) Representatives of the ruling parties of the
Russian Federation, China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan attended
the Ak Jol Congress to express support. Since its 2007
creation, Ak Jol has achieved electoral dominance (often
through disputed vote counts) and may view the Russian,
Chinese, Kazakh and Tajik parties as models to emulate. Ak
Jol inked cooperation agreements with the Russian and Tajik
parties.
6. (C) Comment: Bakiyev's selection as the Ak Jol candidate
was widely anticipated, and given the Kyrgyz White House's
past predilections of using administrative resources to
stymie opposition candidates, Bakiyev's reelection is also
generally expected.
GFOELLER