Tag Archives: Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s government falls

MARCH 18 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The third government coalition of Kyrgyzstan’s relatively young parliamentary democracy collapsed after the Ata-Meken faction walked out, accusing PM Jantoro Satybaldiev of corruption.

The coalition collapse ends Mr Satybaldiev’s premiership and throws up questions over Kyrgyzstan’s negotiations with Canada’s Centerra Gold over ownership of the Kumtor Gold mine — worth roughly 10% of Kyrgyz GDP. Mr Satybaldiev has stood up to demands to nationalise the mine and earlier this year negotiated a new equity deal. It’s unclear if that deal will still stand after his exit.

The three-party coalition had ruled Kyrgyzstan since September 2012 but a furore over the early release from jail of a Chechen crime baron and accusations that Mr Satybaldiev personally profited from the rebuilding of the south of the country after riots in 2010 have dogged his premiership.

The economy, too, has limped along, frustrating many.

Just how the coalition collapse will affect President Almazbek Atambayev reminds to be seen. He may have to call a parliamentary election to form a new government. A change in Kyrgyzstan’s constitution handed it a powerful parliament in October 2010.

One thing is certain, though, the latest government collapse highlights how politically unstable Kyrgyzstan is.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 176, published on March 19 2014)

Kyrgyzstan wants to improve aviation safety

MARCH 18 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Kyrgyz government has drawn up a six year plan to improve its aviation safety, media reported. Media quoted Erkin Isakov, head of the civil aviation authority, listing the problems. “Insufficient funding, low professional level of staff, employee turnover, discrepancy in standards, as well as an imperfect legal framework,” Mr Iskaov was quoted as saying.

ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 176, published on March 19 2014)

Chinese miner fined in Kyrgyzstan

MARCH 14 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — It’s not just Western mining companies in Kyrgyzstan that have come under pressure to pay extra fines. Kyrgyz media reported that the local authorities in northern Kyrgyzstan want the Chinese-run Taldy Bulak Levoberezhni gold mine to pay $143m every year for environmental damage. Chinese firms are generally unpopular in Kyrgyzstan.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 176, published on March 19 2014)

Kyrgyz som stabilises after turmoil

MARCH 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The weakening of the Kyrgyz som fuelled economic uncertainty just as winter was thawing — the most dangerous time of the year for any government in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan has experienced two violent revolutions since 2005, both in the spring.

According to the Kyrgyz Central Bank the som has lost 10% of its value against the US dollar this year.

The Central Bank blamed external politico-economic factors for the fall of the Kyrgyz som — mainly Kazakhstan’s sudden decision to devalue its own currency on Feb. 11 by 20% and the Russian rouble’s drop after Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. It also said, though, that speculators had panicked people on March 3 by selling US dollars for 59 soms, 5 soms above the official exchange rate.

Although the Central Bank declared the som crisis over on March 4, confidence in the currency is thin.

“The dollar affects everything,” said Habib Tursun as he sold milk from his brother’s farm to Bishkek residents out of his car boot. Although Mr Tursun’s operation doesn’t involve imports, except for petrol, his family save in dollars. To counter the fall in the som, he said that he had added 3 soms onto the price of a litre of milk, now 38 soms.

“Our milk is still cheaper than in the shops. If their prices are rising, why shouldn’t ours?” he said.

Prices for a number of imported products have risen 10-20%, according to local media.

This inflation may increase dissatisfaction with President Almazbek Atambayev and his government. It could also force the government to delay planned energy tariff rises and reduce the value of important remittances from migrants in Russia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Kyrgyzstan supports Ukraine

MARCH 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kyrgyzstan issued a forceful statement on Ukraine which said emphatically that ousted president Viktor Yanukovych was no longer the country’s leader. Instead it said: “The only source of power in any country is its people.” Kyrgyzstan has ousted two presidents in revolutions since 2005.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan reopen border

MARCH4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed to reopen border crossings closed since mid-January after a shootout between Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards, media reported. The re-opening of the border marks an important drop in tension between the two countries.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)

Kyrgyzstan ranks last for mining business

MARCH 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Canada-based Fraser Institute has ranked Kyrgyzstan as the worst place to do business for mining companies in its annual report, media reported. Their assessment highlights the problems that Western gold mining companies have had in protecting their assets in Kyrgyzstan.

(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Kyrgyzstan elects new mufti

MARCH 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — A religious council in Kyrgyzstan appointed Maksat Hajji Toktomushev as its seventh grand mufti in four years. Toktomushev is best known for issuing a fatwa against same-sex relations in January. His election highlights the issue of human rights in Kyrgyzstan.

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)

The Kyrgyz som falls against the dollar

MARCH 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kyrgyzstan’s som currency fell sharply in value against the US dollar. A Conway Bulletin correspondent in Bishkek reported that some banks had stopped selling US dollars and that black market traders were selling the Greenback at inflated prices.

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)

New opposition party emerges in Kyrgyzstan

FEB. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — A new opposition party in Kyrgyzstan called the United National Opposition Movement (UNOM) launched itself in Bishkek with a relatively pro-West agenda. The UNOM said Kyrgyzstan should hold a national referendum before it joined the Russia-led Customs Union. Kazakhstan and Belarus are members of the Customs Union.

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)