In his speech, Prime-minister Nikolai Tanaev said that political pluralism in the country is expanding, and civil society is livening up. In the speeches of the participants there were also remarks about stability and improvements in the social-economic sphere as well as other positive achievements and processes in the country.

Apart from such banal statements, other important issues were also discussed at the forum. President Askar Akaev, who also took part in the discussion, stated that he would not run again for the presidency. The President said that the new version of the constitution does not allow him that and he assured the participants that the 2005 elections would be held in strict compliance with the new version of the constitution as well as with the principles of democracy. Lately some politicians have been predicting that the presidential and parliamentary elections might be held ahead of time. At the forum, the Kyrgyz President refuted such predictions and said that they would be held the day indicated in the new version of the constitution. Another issue that Akaev expressed his view on was the imprisonment of the leader of “Arnamys” opposition party Felix Kulov. In the opinion of the President, the imprisonment of Kulov had not been politically motivated but was due to his criminal acts.

The President’s pledge not to run in the next presidential elections was perceived differently. Some see the President’s announcement as a big democratic step and as a challenge to other Central Asian leaders, by stepping down voluntarily. Opposition figures, as one would presume, are doubtful about the sincerity of the President’s commitment not to run for the presidency. In an interview to IWPR, the deputy head of the “Arnamys” party Emil Aliev said that Akaev made one of the traditional announcements in order to calm the public and his opponents. The leader of the “Erkindik” party Topchubek Turgunaliev said that he would not believe Akaev’s commitment until he actually leaves his post.

The results of the Partnership forum are also receiving different evaluations. Edil Baisalov, leader of the NGO Coalition for Democracy and Civil society, says that the roundtable discussion was important in terms of the President’s pledge to leave his post and in terms of the confirmations of the dates of parliamentary and presidential elections, which he thinks will provide a basis for stability in the country. In the opinion of the opposition figure Tursunbek Akun, the Partnership forum was far worse than the last year’s forum and nothing substantial was achieved. Others think that the Partnership Forum demonstrated the failure of the continuing attempts to establish a constructive dialogue between the government and the radical opposition as the leaders of the “For Akaev’s resignation and public reforms” movement were not invited to the forum. On the other hand, the first deputy Prime Minister Kurmanbek Osmonov stated that the forum was successful and a declaration was adopted, which, in his opinion, reflects the established dialogue among all political forces. He also refuted the accusations that the forum was another ‘showcase’ for the international community. Meanwhile, the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on July 24 discussed the Partnership Forum held in Kyrgyzstan having listened to the report of Kyrgyzstan’s Representative to the OSCE Alikbek Jekshenkulov. The OSCE approved of the forum’s results and the Kyrgyz leadership’s democratic reforms.

The roundtable discussion itself and the very fact that it was held is a positive event for maintaining regular dialogue among major political forces in Kyrgyzstan. However, the fact that some opposition members were not invited and did not make their contribution downplays the potential of the forum. Now its success for the most part depends on the follow up work and the actions that will be taken to address the issues raised at the forum.