Protests erupt in Kyrgyzstan over 'rigged' election, attempts to storm Parliament lead to clashes with police - UPDATES

RT
Tue, 06 Oct 2020 21:40 UTC

© Reuters / Vladimir Pirogov

Protesters try to break into the government headquarters during a rally against the result of a parliamentary election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Demonstrators in Kyrgyzstan have broken into the White House - the seat of presidential and parliamentary power - in the capital Bishkek, accusing the government of vote-buying and fraud in the weekend's parliamentary election.

Protesters have "captured" the White House, Sputnik Kyrgyzstan confirmed just after 3:30am local time, accompanied by photos of the compound.

The palace was stormed after day-long demonstrations in Bishkek and other Kyrgyzstani cities, with angry opposition activists denouncing this weekend's parliamentary election as stolen, and accusing the government of intimidation and buying votes.

Kadyr Atambayev, the son of former president Almazbek Atambayev, was reportedly ushered into the compound by the protesters. Atambayev Sr was released from jail after his supporters surrounded the building following the storming of the White House.

President Sooronbay Jeenbekov called on the organizers of the protests to be prudent, adding that he remains in Bishkek, according to his press secretary.

Only four out of 16 parties - three of them pro-government - were able to exceed the seven-percent threshold and make it into parliament after the election on Sunday. The 11 losing opposition groups rejected the results and urged people to take to the streets.

One of the parties, Birimdik (Unity) - which won the most votes on Sunday with a quarter of the total - announced that it was ready to take part in a new parliamentary election. Party spokesman Adilet Sultanaliev took to Twitter to call upon the other three parties that cleared the threshold to follow Birimdik's example. Asylbek Jeenbekov, younger brother of President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, is a Birimdik member.

The Kyrgyzstani unrest has parallels with both recent demonstrations in Belarus - where the opposition refused to recognize the outcome of the presidential election held in August - and the 2014 Maidan uprising in Kiev, as protesters set up tents on Bishkek's Ala-Too Square.

Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian state that gained independence in 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Monday's unrest is the third time since 2005 that protesters have demanded regime change in the streets. Its first president, Askar Akayev, was ousted in the 'Tulip Revolution' after almost 15 years in power. His successor, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, fled the country five years later.

Jeenbekov came to power in 2017, as the chosen successor of Almazbek Atambayev, but quickly fell out with his mentor. Atambayev was charged with corruption and sentenced to 11 years in prison back in August.

Tear gas & sounds of explosions

A large rally at the city's central Ala-Too Square started peacefully at first, with opposition leaders calling on both the crowd and police to refrain from provocative behavior. But after dark footage emerged from Bishkek showing demonstrators trying to break the gates to the parliament's inner grounds. Some of them climbed the fence and tossed stones at the building.

Police intervened to draw crowds away from the parliament, using tear gas and flashbang grenades. There have so far been no reports of any arrests being made.

Several thousand people responded to the call, flocking to the capital's center. The people carried national flags and chanted anti-government slogans, while opposition figures as well as some popular singers, actors and athletes, who also supported the cause, addressed them from the stage. They demanded a new and fair election to be held.

It was the dirtiest election the country had ever seen, Altynbek Sulaymanov, the leader of the opposition Bir Bol party told the local media, adding that Kyrgyzstan brought shame on itself before the whole world. A new election should be staged without the participation of the pro-government parties, he insisted.

Despite mass arrests, thousands have been taking to the streets in the capital Minsk and other cities on weekends for two months now. However, the Belarusian authorities are so far reluctant to give in to the pressure.

Comment: See also:

• Is Belarus a color revolution? The real problem is that ANY protest these days may be
• Eurasian free trade zone may adopt single currency and 'best aspects of the EU' - President of Kyrgyzstan

UPDATE 06/10/2020: Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov has declared the election invalid, claiming a rigged vote.

"Due to numerous violations [reported] during the vote and the pre-election period, a decision was made by members of the Central Election Commission [CEC] to invalidate the elections," the government body's press service told Russia's TASS news agency on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, sitting MPs have called an emergency meeting scheduled for Tuesday, a parliamentary spokesman announced. Lawmakers will not be able to convene at the parliament building, and will instead use a Bishkek hotel as an interim venue. Scores of protesters have amassed overnight around the government complex that houses both the parliament and the presidential office.

He also claimed his opponents were attempting to illegally seize power through election fraud.

On Tuesday, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov called on the country's Central Election Commission (CEC) to "carefully" review any possible violations in the contested race, suggesting the government could still void the result, while also urging a return to calm and the rule of law amid ongoing protests, which erupted on Monday evening.

"Calmness in the state, [and the] stability of society are more valuable than any deputy's mandate," the president said in a televised address. "I suggested that the Central Election Commission carefully investigate the violations and, if necessary, annul the election results."

I urge the leaders of political parties to calm their supporters and move them away from their places of concentration. I call on all my compatriots to keep the peace and not give in to the calls of the provocative forces. The peace of our country and the security of our society are the most important things.

Opposition activists have accused the government of vote-buying and intimidation during last weekend's parliamentary election, taking to the streets to protest over what they've deemed a stolen race, demanding a new vote. The preliminary results showed only four parties (out of 16) passing the seven-percent threshold, two of them considered pro-government.

Meanwhile, protests on the streets became more violent , including arson and breaking the former president, Almazbek Atambayev, convicted of corruption, out of jail.

The White House in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, has caught fire, with videos showing black smoke billowing from its facade. The blaze broke out shortly after it was stormed by protesters, alleging fraud in weekend parliamentary elections.

The blaze ignited shortly after the government headquarters were taken over by protesters, denouncing last weekend's parliamentary election as stolen and accusing the government of vote-buying and intimidation.

The protesters demanded the results of the vote - which showed only four parties passing the 7-percent threshold, two of them considered pro-government - be annulled and that new elections take place.

Footage has emerged showing the building, which is the seat of both presidential and parliamentary power, as it was consumed by flames overnight in the early hours of Tuesday.

The fire has enveloped several floors of the 7-story building, and plumes of thick black smoke could be seen swirling in the air. Fire crews were filmed arriving at the scene.

Shortly after storming the White House, protesters freed former Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev, sentenced to 11 years for corruption, as well as his former chief of staff and ex-PM Sapar Isakov, who was serving a lengthy prison sentence on an array of corruption and embezzlement charges.