PEOPLE
According
to recent findings of Kyrgyz and Chinese historians, Kyrgyz history
dates back to 201 B.C. The earliest descendents of the Kyrgyz
people, who are believed to be of Turkic descent, lived in the
northeastern part of what is currently Mongolia. Later, some of
their tribes migrated to the region that is currently southern
Siberia and settled along the Yenisey River, where they lived
from the 6th until the 8th centuries. They spread across what
is now the Tuva region of the Russian Federation, remaining in
that area until the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century,
when the Kyrgyz began migrating south. In the 12th century, Islam
became the predominant religion in the region. Most Kyrgyz are
Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school.
During
the 15th-16th centuries, the Kyrgyz people settled in the territory
currently known as the Kyrgyz Republic. In the early 19th century,
the southern territory of the Kyrgyz Republic came under the control
of the Khanate of Kokand, and the territory was formally incorporated
into the Russian Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover instigated
numerous revolts against tsarist authority, and many Kyrgyz opted
to move into the Pamir mountains or to Afghanistan. The suppression
of the 1916 rebellion in Central Asia caused many Kyrgyz to migrate
to China.
Soviet
power was initially established in the region in 1918, and in
1924, the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was created within the
Russian Federal Socialist Republic. (The term Kara-Kyrgyz was
used until the mid-1920s by the Russians to distinguish them from
the Kazakhs, who were also referred to as Kyrgyz.) In 1926, it
became the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. On December
5, 1936, the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) was established
as a full Union Republic of the U.S.S.R.
During
the 1920s, the Kyrgyz Republic saw considerable cultural, educational,
and social change. Economic and social development also was notable.
Literacy increased, and a standard literary language was introduced.
The Kyrgyz language belongs to the Southern Turkic group of languages.
In 1924, an Arabic-based Kyrgyz alphabet was introduced, which
was replaced by Latin script in 1928. In 1941 Cyrillic script
was adopted. Many aspects of the Kyrgyz national culture were
retained despite suppression of nationalist activity under Joseph
Stalin, who controlled the Soviet Union from the late 1920's until
1953.
The early
years of glasnost in the late 1980s had little effect on the political
climate in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, the republic's press
was permitted to adopt a more liberal stance and to establish
a new publication, Literaturny Kirghizstan, by the Union of Writers.
Unofficial political groups were forbidden, but several groups
that emerged in 1989 to deal with an acute housing crisis were
permitted to function.
In June
1990, ethnic tensions between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz surfaced in an
area of the Osh Oblast, where Uzbeks form a majority of the population.
Violent confrontations ensued, and a state of emergency and curfew
were introduced. Order was not restored until August 1990.
The early
1990s brought measurable change to the Kyrgyz Republic. The Kyrgyzstan
Democratic Movement (KDM) had developed into a significant political
force with support in parliament. In an upset victory, Askar Akayev,
the president of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences, was elected to
the presidency in October 1990. The following January, Akayev
introduced new government structures and appointed a new government
comprised mainly of younger, reform-oriented politicians. In December
1990, the Supreme Soviet voted to change the republic's name to
the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. (In 1993, it became the Kyrgyz Republic.)
In February 1991, the name of the capital, Frunze, was changed
back to its pre-revolutionary name--Bishkek.
Despite
these moves toward independence, economic realities seemed to
work against secession from the U.S.S.R. In a referendum on the
preservation of the U.S.S.R. in March 1991, 88.7% of the voters
approved a proposal to retain the U.S.S.R. as a "renewed
federation."
On August
19, 1991, when the State Committee for the State of Emergency
(SCSE) assumed power in Moscow, there was an attempt to depose
Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the coup collapsed the following week,
Akayev and Vice President German Kuznetsov announced their resignations
from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the entire
politburo and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the Supreme
Soviet vote declaring independence from the U.S.S.R. on August
31, 1991. Kyrgyz was announced as the state language in September
1991. (In December 2001, through a constitutional amendment, the
Russian language was given official status.)
In October
1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected President of the new
independent republic by direct ballot, receiving 95% of the votes
cast. Together with the representatives of seven other republics,
he signed the Treaty of the New Economic Community that same month.
On December 21, 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic formally entered the
new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
In 1993,
allegations of corruption against Akayev's closest political associates
blossomed into a major scandal. One of those accused of improprieties
was Prime Minister Chyngyshev, who was dismissed for ethical reasons
in December. Following Chyngyshev's dismissal, Akayev dismissed
the government and called upon the last communist premier, Apas
Djumagulov, to form a new one. In January 1994, Akayev initiated
a referendum asking for a renewed mandate to complete his term
of office. He received 96.2% of the vote.
A new
constitution was passed by the parliament in May 1993. In 1994,
however, the parliament failed to produce a quorum for its last
scheduled session prior to the expiration of its term in February
1995. President Akayev was widely accused of having manipulated
a boycott by a majority of the parliamentarians. Akayev, in turn,
asserted that the communists had caused a political crisis by
preventing the legislature from fulfilling its role. Akayev scheduled
an October 1994 referendum, overwhelmingly approved by voters,
which proposed two amendments to the constitution--one that would
allow the constitution to be amended by means of a referendum,
and the other creating a new bicameral parliament called the Jogorku
Kenesh.
Elections
for the two legislative chambers--a 35-seat full-time assembly
and a 70-seat part-time assembly--were held in February 1995 after
campaigns considered remarkably free and open by most international
observers, although the election-day proceedings were marred by
widespread irregularities. Independent candidates won most of
the seats, suggesting that personalities prevailed over ideologies.
The new parliament convened its initial session in March 1995.
One of its first orders of business was the approval of the precise
constitutional language on the role of the legislature.
On December
24, 1995, President Akayev was reelected for another 5-year term
with wide support (75% of vote) over two opposing candidates.
President Akayev used government resources and state-owned media
to carry out his campaign. Three (out of six) candidates were
de-registered shortly before the election.
A February
1996 referendum--in violation of the constitution and the law
on referendums--amended the constitution to give President Akayev
more power. Although the changes gave the president the power
to dissolve parliament, it also more clearly defined the parliament's
powers. Since that time, the parliament has demonstrated real
independence from the executive branch.
An October
1998 referendum approved constitutional changes, including increasing
the number of deputies in the lower house, reducing the number
of deputies in the upper house, providing for 25% of lower house
deputies to be elected by party lists, rolling back parliamentary
immunity, introducing private property, prohibiting adoption of
laws restricting freedom of speech and mass media, and reforming
the state budget.
Two rounds
of parliamentary elections were held on February 20, 2000 and
March 12, 2000. With the full backing of the United States, the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported
that the elections failed to comply with commitments to free and
fair elections and hence were invalid. Questionable judicial proceedings
against opposition candidates and parties limited the choice of
candidates available to Kyrgyz voters, while state-controlled
media only reported favorably on official candidates. Government
officials put pressure on independent media outlets that favored
the opposition. The presidential election that followed later
in 2000 also was marred by irregularities and was not declared
free and fair by international observers.
The most
recent elections were parliamentary, held February 27 and March
13, 2005. The United States agreed with the findings of the OSCE
that while the elections failed to comply with commitments to
free and fair elections, there were improvements over the 2000
elections, notably the use of indelible ink, transparent ballot
boxes, and generally good access by election observers.
Sporadic
protests against perceived fraud during the parliamentary runoff
elections in late March 2005 erupted into widespread calls for
the government's resignation that started in Southern provinces.
On March 24, 15,000 pro-opposition demonstrators called for the
resignation of the President and his regime in Bishkek. Some injuries
were reported during police clashes along with widespread looting.
Protestors seized the presidential administration building, after
which President Akayev fled to Russia. President Akayev signed
a letter of resignation in Moscow on April 4, which was accepted
by Kyrgyzstan’s new parliament on April 12, 2005.
Opposition
leaders moved quickly to establish an interim government led by
Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
Nationality: Kyrgyzstani.
Population (July 2006): 5,213,988.
Annual growth rate (2006): 1.32%.
Ethnic groups (Jan. 2003): Kyrgyz 67%; Russian 11%; Uzbek 14%; Dungan (ethnic Chinese Muslims) 1%; Uighurs 1%; Tatars 0.9%; German 0.3%; other 4.8%.
Main religions: Islam; Russian Orthodox.
Language: State--Kyrgyz; official (2001)--Russian.
Education: Nine years compulsory. Literacy--98.7%.
Health (2003): Infant mortality rate--21.2 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy--68.2 years.
Population distribution (2003): Urban 64.6%; rural 35.4%.
