Pslam 105
41 He split the rock and water gushed forth; it flowed through the
desert like a river.
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KYRGYZSTAN CONTENT TO HOST RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN AIR BASES
http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?volume_id=407&issue_id=3468&article_id=2370247
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Bishkek/Brussels, 16 December 2005: Kyrgyzstan could become a failed
state unless the U.S., EU and other donors give the shaky government
more political and financial backing.
Kyrgyzstan: A Faltering State,* the latest report from the
International Crisis Group, examines the country's stumbling path
since fraudulent parliamentary elections sparked a popular uprising
earlier this year. The ouster of President Askar Akayev in March raised
hopes for change, but the months since the revolution have been marked
by uncertainty and paralysis. Today, the country is highly fragile.
"If Kyrgyzstan becomes a failed state, it will reinforce the views of
neighbouring authoritarian regimes that dictatorship is safer than
democracy", says Michael Hall, Director of Crisis Group's Central
Asia Project. "The revolution that removed Akayev from power was the
first of its kind in Central Asia, and the new Kyrgyz state is a test
for democracy in the region".
Kurmanbek Bakiyev was elected president in July, but formation of a new
government has been slow and hampered by divisions among the
revolutionary leaders. As confusion reigns at the top, disorder spreads
through society. Property is being redistributed in a chaotic and
sometimes violent manner. Government, criminals and others are
scrambling for a share of the country's valuable assets, including
many that the Akayev family monopolised.
Instead of addressing the crises, however, the authorities have
deferred decisions and let events run their course, while a growing
pool of discontented individuals and groups forms, and confidence in
the administration wanes. Most worryingly, the government has largely
lost control over public security. Law enforcement agencies lack
resources, are severely demoralised and have become susceptible to
outside pressure.
The chaos cannot be allowed to continue. The new government has a
unique opportunity to win the trust of its citizens, to show that 24
March was indeed a revolution, not a mere reshuffling of ruling elites,
but it does not have unlimited time.
Most importantly, the Bakiyev administration must be prepared to tackle
the underlying issues behind its many conflicts. If Kyrgyzstan is to
succeed as a test case for democracy in Central Asia, the new
government must commit itself to transparency, fighting corruption and
developing the rule of law. Public monitoring of the government must
become more effective, especially through continued development of
civil society and independent media, which, despite some difficulties,
have proven strong and effective pillars of society thus far.
There also needs to be greater efforts by donors to help it achieve
these ends. Otherwise, there is a real risk that the central government
will lose control of institutions and territory, and the country will
drift into irreversible criminality and permanent low-level violence.
"Officials say the current mess all started under Akayev", says
Hall. "Certainly so, but Akayev is long gone, and they are now
responsible for cleaning up the mess".
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