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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001333 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZSTAN OPPOSITION RALLY LESS THAN EXPECTED 
 
REF: A. BISHKEK 1316 
     ¶B. BISHKEK 796 
     ¶C. BISHKEK 626 
 
BISHKEK 00001333  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Lee Litzenberger, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  On September 17 in the southern Aksy 
District, Kyrgyzstan's opposition staged a "Kurultai," or 
"people's congress," bringing together representatives from 
various political parties, NGO groups, and the government.  A 
crowd of approximately 1500 heard numerous speeches, most of 
which were critical of the government, and adopted a 
seven-point resolution demanding, among other things, 
immediate constitutional reform, an end to political 
persecution, and the removal of President Bakiyev's relatives 
from government positions.  The event broke no new ground, 
and the attendance was below that at previous Kurultais. 
Following the recent uproar over the Tekebayev incident (Ref 
A), observers had expected more from the rally. 
Nevertheless, event organizer MP Azimbek Beknazarov promised 
to hold a similar meeting in Bishkek at the end of October. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On September 17, Kyrgyzstan's political opposition 
staged a "Kurultai," or "people's congress," in the southern 
Aksy District at the same site where a 2002 mass protest 
resulted in the deaths of six protesters following a clash 
with authorities.  Organized by opposition MP Azimbek 
Beknazarov (whose arrest had triggered the 2002 protest), the 
Kurultai went off peacefully, with most of the crowd sitting 
on a hillside during speeches made from the back of a truck. 
Pro-opposition MPs Omurbek Tekebayev, Melis Eshimkanov, and 
Bolotbek Sherniyazov, as well as NGO leaders and activists, 
attended the rally.  Interestingly, Beknazarov's fellow Asaba 
Party co-chair, Roza Otunbayeva, did not attend, and 
surprisingly few pro-opposition MPs made the trip to Aksy. 
From the government side, State Secretary Adakham Madumarov, 
Human Rights Commission Chair Tursunbek Akhunov, Security 
Council Secretary Miroslav Niyazov (currently on vacation -- 
see Ref A) and Jalalabad Governor Iskender Aidaraliyev 
participated.  Embassy observers estimated the crowd at 1500, 
including numerous media representatives and other observers. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Kurultai started slowly, with a number of local 
representatives speaking, but the mood intensified throughout 
the day.  A number of speakers were sharply critical of the 
government, saying they wanted "real reforms."  Madumarov and 
Akhunov both spoke to defend the government record, arguing 
that President Bakiyev was not to blame for recent problems, 
such as the apparent set-up of Tekebayev (Ref A), and that 
more time was needed to move forward with reforms. 
Beknazarov argued strongly against their points, stirring up 
the crowd as he spoke. 
 
¶4. (U) The Kurultai adopted a resolution making seven demands 
on the government: 
 
--Re-investigate the 2002 shootings in Aksy and identify and 
punish those officials responsible; 
 
--Proceed with constitutional reform immediately; 
 
--Act on the demands made at the April and May 2006 rallies 
in Bishkek (see Refs B and C); 
 
--Stop political persecutions and investigate fully the 
Tekebayev incident ("Matryoshkagate"); 
 
--Remove all relatives of President Bakiyev from their 
positions in government; 
 
--Make state radio into public radio; 
 
--Execute these demands by the end of October, or face the 
 
BISHKEK 00001333  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
removal of the Bakiyev-Kulov "tandem" from power. 
 
¶5. (U) Beknazarov said that this meeting had been just the 
first stage in the process and that there would be another 
rally in Bishkek at the end of October, following Ramadan. 
Following the Kurultai, most of the crowd proceeded to the 
tea houses in nearby Kerben to continue their discussions. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT:  Following the uproar this past week in 
Parliament and in the media over the Tekebayev incident, many 
observers expected Beknazarov's Kurultai to be a decisive 
event for Kyrgyzstan's opposition.  The long-promised 
Kurultai, however, apparently failed to capture the momentum 
coming from the scandal, as turnout was lower than expected 
(or than at previous such meetings) and some prominent 
opposition figures stayed away.  Perhaps people, even if 
disappointed in the government, are tired of regular rallies 
or Kurultais that are not likely to produce tangible results. 
 This meeting, in fact, produced little new in terms of 
issues or demands, and it did not really address current 
concerns such as the government's security crackdown in the 
south.  It was mildly ironic that Beknazarov would demand a 
re-investigation of the 2002 Aksy shootings, as he could have 
done so himself when he was Procurator General in 2005. 
Regarding some of the other demands, the special 
Parliamentary commission is continuing its investigation of 
the Tekebayev incident, and is expected to announce some 
findings this week; a separate government commission is also 
investigating.  And in Parliament September 14, President 
Bakiyev said that constitutional reform would move forward 
with hearings in parliament on the draft constitutions, 
though the timing -- and process -- for this was not clear. 
In any event, with Parliament and the opposition energized by 
the Tekebayev incident, the political situation in Bishkek 
remains unsettled.  END COMMENT. 
YOVANOVITCH