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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000503 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCRM KCOR KG
SUBJECT: CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION REFUSING TO CERTIFY 
AKMATBAYEV ELECTION VICTORY 
 
REF: A. BISHKEK 436 
     ¶B. BISHKEK 186 
     ¶C. BISHKEK 446 
     ¶D. BISHKEK 496 
     ¶E. BISHKEK 440 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  On April 10, Central Election Commission 
(CEC) Chairman Tuigunaly Abdraimov announced that the CEC 
would not certify organized crime kingpin Ryspek Akmatbayev 
as the winner of the April 9 parliamentary by-election 
pending the outcome of Akmatbayev's impending re-trial for 
three counts of murder.  Although Abdraimov probably has the 
law on his side, his attempts to block Akmatbayev's candidacy 
appear to be motivated more by a desire to embarrass 
President Bakiyev than a genuine interest in evenhandedly 
enforcing the law.  END SUMMARY. 
 
LEGAL BASIS 
----------- 
 
¶2.  (C) CEC Chair Abdraimov has taken the surprising decision 
to refuse to certify Ryspek Akmatbayev as the winner of the 
April 9 parliamentary by-election pending the outcome of 
Akmatbayev's impending re-trial for murder.  Although 
Akmatbayev was acquitted of murder charges on January 25 
(reftel b), the family of the victim appealed the verdict, 
meaning Akmatbayev must stand trial again.  Although the law 
prohibits the arrest or trial of candidates for office, the 
CEC declared that with the by-election over, Akmatbayev is no 
longer a candidate and can stand trial. 
 
¶3.  (C) The April 10 CEC decision marked the second time 
since March 30 that Abdraimov and the CEC have tried to block 
Akmatbayev from reaching the parliament.  On March 30, the 
CEC revoked Akmatbayev's candidate registration, only to have 
the decision overturned by a Bishkek court (reftel a).  At a 
press conference on April 11, Abdraimov alleged that 
Akmatbayev himself called Abdraimov and threatened to kill 
him in retaliation for the CEC decision.  Abdraimov has since 
hired a private security firm to protect him. 
 
BUSINESS, OR PERSONAL? 
---------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Parliamentarian Omurbek Babanov told Ambassador 
Yovanovitch that CEC Chair Abdraimov himself had persuaded a 
reluctant CEC on March 30 to vote to revoke Akmatbayev's 
registration.  Babanov, who was sitting in Abdraimov's office 
following the CEC vote, said that Chief of Presidential Staff 
Usen Sydykov called Abdraimov at least 20 times to urge 
Abdraimov to rush the CEC ruling to a Bishkek court so that 
Akmatbayev could file an appeal.  (NOTE:  According to the 
law, the courts cannot review a CEC decision without a hard 
copy of the CEC ruling.  END NOTE).  According to Babanov, 
the Presidential Administration on March 30 spent much of the 
day trying to find a Bishkek court willing to accept the 
appeal, then badgered the CEC to send a copy of its ruling to 
the court.  In the end, a Bishkek district court convened 
several days later, late on a Sunday evening, and overturned 
the CEC decision (reftel c). 
 
¶5.  (C) COMMENT:  It is clear that among CEC members, 
Abdraimov himself has been the driving force behind the two 
CEC attempts to block Akmatbayev's candidacy.  What is less 
clear is Abdraimov's motivation.  According to President of 
the NGO Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society Edil 
Baisalov, Abdraimov ruled against Akmatbayev primarily 
because he believes in enforcing the law.  But Abdraimov 
certainly has powerful political motives as well. 
Abdraimov's standoff with Akmatbayev is part of a much larger 
political game. 
 
¶6.  (C) COMMENT CONT'D:  CEC Chair Abdraimov is a long-time 
ally of Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Almaz 
 
BISHKEK 00000503  002 OF 002 
 
 
Atambayev, who is close to Prime Minister Feliks Kulov (whom 
Akmatbayev has publicly threatened to kill).  Almaz Atambayev 
clearly has larger ambitions.  He recently initiated a public 
spat with President Bakiyev over Bakiyev's decree (which 
Atambayev defied) banning membership in political parties by 
government ministers (Atambayev is the head of the Social 
Democratic Party).  Atambayev has run for president in the 
past, and is one of the primary planners of an April 29 
demonstration apparently designed to force Bakiyev to either 
open negotiations with the opposition or resign from office. 
Abdraimov himself is involved with this group (reftel d). 
There are personal motives as well.  A doctor by trade, 
Abdraimov wanted very much to be Minister of Health, and has 
been angry with President Bakiyev for not appointing him to 
that position. 
 
¶7.  (C) COMMENT CONT'D:  Each time Abdraimov blocks 
Akmatbayev's path to the parliament, he forces the 
Presidential Administration or the courts to intervene on 
Akmatbayev's behalf.  It is difficult to overestimate the 
damage that this has done to Bakiyev's image and level of 
support in the north, particularly in Bishkek and within the 
Interior Ministry (MVD), which is convinced that Akmatbayev 
killed an MVD Colonel in early 2005 (a crime for which 
Akmatbayev is currently awaiting trial).  Following the March 
30 CEC decision, Akmatbayev bussed over one thousand 
supporters to Bishkek on March 31, where they quickly 
surrounded the White House (reftel e).  President Bakiyev 
went onto the street to meet with them, seeming to confirm 
what most in Bishkek already firmly believe ) that Bakiyev 
and Akmatbayev are somehow linked.  Weakening Bakiyev further 
may well be Abdraimov's ultimate goal.  If so, he has already 
done an effective job. 
YOVANOVITCH