Center for Civil Society International (ccsi@u.washington.edu)
Wed, 20 Sep 1995 11:43:19 -0700 (PDT)
The following information is a summary of two messages received recently
from Natalia Ablova, Director, Kyrgyz-American Bureau on Human Rights and
the Rule of Law (BHRRL). It concerns an important debate about the
development of political institutions in Kyrgyzstan--a debate in which the
Bureau on Human Rights and the Rule of Law and other NGOs are playing a
role.
For further information, please reply directly to Ms. Ablova at her
e-mail address: <na@rights.bishkek.su>
Holt Ruffin
Center for Civil Society International
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 95 20:52:09 +0300
>From: Natalia Ablova <na@rights.bishkek.su>
To: ccsi@u.washington.edu
Subject: Referendum.Bishkek
Background
On August 20, a variety of "Initiative Groups" of veterans and elderly
citizens presented a petition with 1,162,000 signatures to representatives
of the Kyrgyz parliament and the Central Electoral Commission, requesting
that a referendum be held on the questions of whether the Kyrgyz
President, Askar Akaev, should remain in power until the year 2001. (The
Kyrgyz Constitution calls for presidential elections to be held in the
fall of 1996.)
According to the Bureau on Human Rights and the Rule of Law, this campaign
was coordinated by regional officials of the executive branch "interested
in preserving the modus vivendi." It has provoked strong debate in the
parliament, which is divided as to the appropriateness or
constitutionality of the referendum. The Central Electoral Commission
itself has become a focus of debate, with some leaders asserting that it
is playing an extra-constitutional role in supporting the referendum
campaign, and calling for the resignation of current CEC members after
the next parliamentary elections.
Current Situation
In the past two days, representatives of four political parties and seven
Kyrgyz NGOs started a hunger strike in front of the government building in
Bishkek, in protest of any referendum to extend the President's term to
2001--in place of the regularly scheduled elections. At first this hunger
strike was met with efforts by police to oust the demonstrators. But as a
result of an apparently constructive interchange between hunger strike
leaders and the police, several officers have now been posted to guard the
protesters" against provocations." (!!)
(According to BHRRL, "democratic parliamentarians and human rights
activists explained to the policemen that people can protest peacefully
unless they infringe the public order or block the traffic. The activists
also produced forms for registering any abuse of power, [which] made the
right impression on the policemen.")
The President has apparently made statements indicating that he will
abide by the decision of the parliament on the question of the referendum.
The Kyrgyz American Bureau of Human Rights and the Rule of Law recognizes
that among the opponents of the referendum may be rivals for the
presidency. But it also believes that an extremely important
constitutional principle is at stake and wants the international community
to be the thoroughly informed about it. This is why they have asked
Center for Civil Society International to post this announcement to the
CivilSoc list. They are prepared to answer any questions for further
information at the following e-mail address:
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