In late 2004, the Kyrgyz Parliament adopted and later the President approved a law aimed at restraining election fraud. According to the new amendment to the election code, each voter will have the thumb of his or her left hand marked with an ink-like fluid when going to the polls. This is meant to prevent voters from voting repeatedly. The law was proposed by the opposition Civic Union for Fair Elections bloc, passed through the Parliament after heated debates and unexpectedly receiving the President’s approval. The law was welcomed by all opposition groups who saw the move as a step towards reducing chances for election fraud and vote-rigging. Pro-governmental forces such as the Public Council for Democratic Security established by the President himself as a democracy watchdog body, the Central Electoral Commission, and a number of pro-governmental deputies have attacked this change saying that it violates human rights, humiliates voters by doubting their honesty, undermines Kyrgyzstan’s reputation and even arguing that the special marking ink could cause allergic reactions.

It is important to note that the new Kyrgyz law was supported not only by the opposition forces but also by the international community, which sees it as a promising sign for the country’s democracy prospects. It is indeed important for a country, whose President has repeatedly declared that he would make every effort to ensure that the coming parliamentary and presidential elections are free and fair and consistent with international standards. At the same time President Askar Akaev, who has declared his intention to step down in October 2005, and his entourage have been strongly alarmed by the revolutionary changes of power in Georgia and Ukraine, and have vowed to prevent similar scenarios in Kyrgyzstan. Recent mass protests in Bishkek, organized in support of ex-diplomats critical of the government who were barred from running in the parliamentary elections, have reinforced the worries of the current regime. Ever since, it has been taking no chances. Consequently some positive political developments adopted earlier, which appeared to freshen up the pre-election atmosphere, have been overshadowed by the government’s recent controversial decisions.

The Central Election Commission’s decision to prohibit the registration of Kyrgyz ex-diplomats from running for Parliament on the basis of their prolonged residence outside the country was followed by another controversial decision of the Bishkek City Council. According to the new rule, any meetings and public demonstrations that are not registered with authorities in advance are prohibited. The decision has immediately provoked criticism from NGOs and opposition forces. In the opinion of Edil Baisalov, leader of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, this decision illegally limits the constitutional rights of the Kyrgyzstani people. “The right to meetings and demonstrations is granted by the Constitution. The decision of the Bishkek City Council exerts a permissive system of holding meetings and other protest actions. Therefore, we consider the decision as an attempt to limit our constitutional rights. We question the transparency and fairness of the upcoming elections”, said Edil Baisalov in an interview to Deutsche Welle.

Despite this recent decision of the authorities, on 19 January Ata-Yurt and other opposition groups organized protests in Bishkek, gathering more than 400 people. The protestors demanded the government to permit ex-ambassadors to participate in the coming parliamentary elections. They put forward also more radical demands such as an end of the rule of President Askar Akaev and his family. The President’s daughter Bermet Akaeva and his son Aidar Akaev have recently been registered as candidates for Parliament.

Currently the Pervomai District Court of Bishkek is considering a lawsuit brought against several opposition leaders: co-leader of Ata-Yurt movement Roza Otunbaeva, leader of Erkin Kyrgyzstan political party Topchubek Turgunaliev and Ishengul Boljurova from the People’s Movement of Kyrgyzstan. All of them are accused of organizing an unsanctioned protest in the capital. According to a representative of the law enforcement bodies, Petr Tyablin, the protestors breached public peace and infringed traffic regulations. The opposition leaders, however, oppose such accusations and view the government’s move as the next political persecution and provocation of the opposition in the runup to the parliamentary elections.