1. Kyrgyzstan: A Hollow Regime Collapses
- Publication Date:
- 04-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- A swift, violent rebellion swept into the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek in early April 2010, sparked by anger at painful utility price increases and the corruption that was the defining characteristic of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's rule. In less than two days the president had fled. Some 85 people were killed and the centre of the capital was looted. The thirteen-member provisional government now faces a daunting series of challenges. Bakiyev leaves be- hind a bankrupt state hollowed out by corruption and crime. Economic failure and collapsing infrastructure have generated deep public resentment. If the provisional government moves fast to assert its power, the risks of major long-term violence are containable: there are no signs of extensive support for Bakiyev or of a North-South split. The speed with which the Bakiyev administration collapsed is a salutary reminder of the risks of over emphasising Western security concerns in framing policy towards the region.
- Topic:
- International Affairs, Fragile/Failed State, Governance, and Authoritarianism
- Political Geography:
- Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan