According to ehistorylib, in 2005, Kyrgyzstan had a population of around 5.3 million people and a GDP of $4.2 billion, making it one of the poorer countries in Central Asia. The economy was largely reliant on agriculture and remittances sent from Kyrgyz citizens working abroad, with other industries such as mining, textiles and tourism also playing an important role. Unemployment rates were quite high at around 10%, while poverty levels remained quite high with an estimated 30% of the population living below the poverty line.
Foreign relations in 2005 were generally positive with Kyrgyzstan being a member of various international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). In addition, it maintained diplomatic ties with many countries in Europe, Asia and North America. It was also an important ally to both Russia and China and had close trade ties to other post-Soviet republics.
Politically, Kyrgyzstan was a semi-presidential democracy during this time period with executive power vested in both the President who had absolute authority over foreign policy decisions and could veto any legislation passed by Parliament. Furthermore, there were three branches of government: Executive (President), Legislative (Parliament) and Judicial (Supreme Court). These branches worked together to ensure that laws were properly enforced throughout the country.
Yearbook 2005
Kyrgyzstan. According to countryaah, Bishkek is the capital and one of the major cities within the country of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan underwent a political revolution during the year, which was called the tulip revolution. The triggering factor was the parliamentary elections in February and March, when, according to foreign observers, there were election fraud by the regime. Several opposition candidates were barred from running, and the authorities shut down independent media during the election. When the official result showed a clear victory for President Askar Akajev’s party, violent protests erupted in southern Kyrgyzstan. Opposition protesters took control in the cities of Osh and Dzjalal-Abad.
- Also see abbreviationfinder.org for how the acronym KG stands for the country of Kyrgyzstan and other meanings of this two-letter abbreviation.
The opposition formed a so-called coordination council, led by former Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakijev, who hails from southern Kyrgyzstan. President Akaiev rejected the opposition’s demand that the election be re-elected, and demonstrations also erupted in the capital Bishkek. Violence and looting ensued and Akajev fled the country.
The Supreme Court rejected the results of the second round of elections in March, but the new parliament appointed Bakijev as prime minister and acting president. Imprisoned opposition politician Felix Kulov was released and joined the new government. In April, Parliament approved President Akajev’s resignation application.
In the new presidential election in July, Bakijev won 88% of the vote, according to official data. Kulov refrained from running for office and in return took over the post of prime minister.
Kyrgyzstan ended up in conflict with neighboring Uzbekistan during the summer, after receiving hundreds of refugees who escaped the violence in the Uzbek city of Andizjan. Uzbekistan demanded that the refugees be returned, but Kyrgyzstan allowed them to travel further. to Sweden.
The political situation in Kyrgyzstan remained unstable after the regime change. The old contradictions between the Uzbek-dominated South and the Kyrgyz-dominated areas of the North remained. The organized crime, which was given a lot of space under President Akajev, was reminded during the autumn, when among other things. some MEPs were murdered. The country’s state prosecutor tried to deal with the corruption but was dismissed by the new president Bakijev. He was accused in Parliament of gaining too much power in his hand and of allowing worse corruption than under the old regime.
December
The country opens up to the outside world
December 5th
Kyrgyzstan allows citizens of all countries of the world to re-enter the country via three international airports. Travelers must be tested negative for the corona virus when boarding the plane to Kyrgyzstan and once again on arrival. The country’s borders were closed at the outbreak of the corona pandemic in March 2020 and then a shutdown of society was carried out. When the second wave of the pandemic swept across the country during the summer, the government chose not to impose equally strict restrictions on the spread of infection. After harsh criticism, the government admitted that corona-related loans granted to the country had been used to pay the salaries of civil servants and fill in gaps in the state budget, instead of for health care. Kyrgyzstan has had a total of 74,774 confirmed coronavirus infections and 1,290 covid-19 deaths.
Atambayev’s prison sentence is torn down
1 December
The Supreme Court annuls the prison sentence against former President Atambayev and orders that the trial against him be repeated in the district court in Bishkek. Atambayev was convicted in June 2020 of illegally releasing an imprisoned mafia boss in 2013.
November
Japarov resigns as president and prime minister
November 14
Sadyr Japarov resigns as acting president and hands over the post of prime minister to First Deputy Prime Minister Artem Novikov. Talant Mamjtov will be the new acting president. The constitution requires Japarov to step down from both posts in order to run in the presidential election.
Japarov strengthens his position
November 5
Parliament Speaker Kanatbek Isayev resigns and is replaced by Talant Mamjitov, a close ally of President Japarov. The president will take over as interim president when Japarov has to step down from that post in order to run in the presidential election in January 2020. The measure is a way to consolidate power around Japarov. Yeshayev, who sided with former President Jeenbekov during the crisis, is also running in the presidential election.
