USA: KYRGYZSTAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES SAYS HIS PRESIDENT IS "SOMEWHERE SAFE"

Record ID: 337934

  • Title: USA: KYRGYZSTAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES SAYS HIS PRESIDENT IS "SOMEWHERE SAFE"
  • Date: 26th March 2005
  • Summary: (BN04)WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES (MARCH 24, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. BAKYT ABDRISAYEV, AMBASSADOR FROM KYRGYZSTAN, AT LECTERN; REPORTER AT NEWS CONFERENCE 2. SOUNDBITE (English) BAKYT ABDRISAYEV, AMBASSADOR FROM KYRGYZSTAN, SAYING: "In this case, the new authorities are doing a lot of things in order to legitimize their position in this government, but I think in this case we need to work now in order to satisfy all of these things. (REPORTER ASKS (Off Camera): Is he still inside the country, or has he, in fact fled the country?) (ANSWER): In this case, I have no information of what is his location but he is in a safe place." 3. REPORTERS AT BRIEFING 4. SOUNDBITE (English) BAKYT ABDRISAYEV SAYING: "You know that for us now, it is really important, again for reconciliation, and for the stabilisation to do everything only by ourselves, without involvement of second, third forces. Maybe in this case, OSCE will do something, but first we have to deal by ourselves. We have, I think, the capacity, potential people from both sides who are capable to do it, so anyways, this is something that I expect that during a couple of days, form the structures that would satisfy many things." 5. REPORTER ASKING QUESTION TO ABDRISAYEV 6. SOUNDBITE (English) BAKYT ABDRISAYEV SAYING: "Because the president left the country maybe, or he's in the other place, I don't know, so therefore now the main issue is how to reconcile our populace in order to do it in such way to satisfy regional interests, tribal interests, political interests, and many, many, things which we started to discover which play a significant role in our society, in addition to the standards of democracy, also in the interest of political elites, so it would be such a decision that would be satisfying all the parts of our society in the regions also, too." 7. ABDRISAYEV AT LECTERN 3.01 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 10th April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA8ZE8X3AHVQ4VKFOSJWVTILD84
  • Story Text: Kyrgyz ambassador to the United States says his
    president is 'somewhere safe'
    Kyrgyzstan's opposition declared itself in power on Thursday
    (March 25, 2005) after seizing key buildings as veteran president
    Askar Akayev vanished from view following days of violent protests.

    In an emergency meeting, parliament installed opposition leaders as acting
    president and prime minister and gave them until Friday to present a new
    government for the Central Asian country.

    Thursday's protests were a culmination of days of demonstrations against
    what the opposition say were rigged parliamentary elections and years of
    poverty and corruption.

    Almost a half-world away in Washington, the ambassador for the government
    slipping from power said opposition forces broke with country's constitution,
    but are nevertheless attempting to legitimize their power.

    "In this case, the new authorities are doing a lot of things in order to
    legitimize their position in this government, but I think in this case we need
    to work now in order to satisfy all of these things," Ambassador Bakyt
    Abdrisayev told reporters.

    The ambassador wouldn't admit to knowing where Akayev was but did say, "In
    this case, I have no information of what is his location, but he is in a safe
    place."
    Though the ambassador said keeping in close contact with the United States
    was important for his country to develop democracy, he said that the immediate
    steps toward stabilisation needed to be taken by his country alone.

    "You know that for us now, it is really important - again for
    reconciliation, and for the stabilisation to do everything only by ourselves,
    without involvement of second, third forces. Maybe in this case, OSCE will do
    something, but first we have to deal by ourselves. We have, I think, the
    capacity - potential people from both sides who are capable to do it, so
    anyways, this is something that I expect that during a couple of days - form
    the structures that would satisfy many things," Abdrisayev said.

    Rumours flew in Kyrgyzstan that Akayev had fled the mountainous country,
    which appears likely to become the third former Soviet state in two years to
    see its entrenched leadership fall to popular protest after disputed elections,
    following Ukraine and Georgia. Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev tendered his
    resignation, an opposition spokesman said.

    "Because the president left the country maybe, or he's in the other place,
    I don't know, so therefore now the main issue is how to reconcile our populace
    in order to do it in such way to satisfy regional interests, tribal interests,
    political interests, and many, many, things which we started to discover which
    play a significant role in our society, in addition to the standards of
    democracy - also in the interest of political elites, so it would be such a
    decision that would be satisfying all the parts of our society in the regions
    also, too," Abdrisayev told reporters.

    With no police on the streets of Bishkek, the capital of Krygyzstan,
    looters, mainly young men, ransacked department stores and casinos, emptied
    jewelers' shops and made off with cars. Thick smoke filled the night air after
    mobs torched stores.


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