BISHKEK, April 8, 2010, Asia-Plus — An interim government, led by Ms. Roza Otunbayeva, gave the first news conference gave a news conference in Bishkek Thursday morning.
The main objective of the news conference that took place in the building of Kyrgyz parliament was in informing citizens of measures taken by the interim government to normalize the situation in Bishkek and regional centers of Kyrgyzstan.
The interim government, which will remain in power until elections are held in six months’ time, is in fully control of the country and appointed new ministers, Ms. Otunbayeva told reporters
Ismail Isakov, named interim defense minister, noted that patrol groups will have been set up by the evening to prevent possible looting. He confirmed that the country”s armed forces and border guards were under the control of the interim government.
Ms. Otunbayeva said President Kurmanbek Bakiyev had not yet resigned but was trying to rally support in the country”s south.. According to the latest data, more than 70 people were killed and more than 530 others were injured in the clashes.
She noted she would have four deputies that would be in charge for different spheres: the Social-Democratic Party leader Almazbek Atambayev will be in charge for the economic bloc; the Ak-Shumkar Party leader Temir Sariyev will be in charge for the financial sector; the Ata-Memken Party leader Omurbek Tekebayev will be in charge for carrying out the constitutional reforms; the Public Popular Movement member Azimbek Beknazarov is responsible for courts and oversight bodies.
She said agreements on selling open joint-stock companies Severlelektro and Kyrgyztleekom would be annulled and those entities would pass into state’s ownership.
Ms Otunbayeva said the entire country was under the control of the interim government, except for Osh and Jalalabad. Armed forces and border guards supported the new government, she said.
In the meantime, Reuters reports political unrest over poverty, rising prices and corruption has gripped Kyrgyzstan since early March. The average monthly wage is about $130 and remittances from workers in Russia have fallen sharply during the global economic crisis.
Analysts said the unrest would also increase uncertainty for foreign investors in Kyrgyzstan”s mining sector and raised the possibility of outside military intervention. “Bakiyev is unlikely to return to power but the prevailing uncertainty poses severe risks to foreign investors, raises the possibility of foreign intervention and will directly affect U.S. interests in Central Asia,” said Eurasia Group analyst Ana Jelenkovic, according to Reuters.
Roza Otunbayeva, born August 23, 1950, is a former foreign minister of Kyrgyzstan and the head of the parliamentary group of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.
Ms. Otunbayeva was born in Osh, Kyrgyz SSR, USSR. She graduated from the Philosophy Faculty of Moscow State University in 1972 and went on to teach as senior professor and head of the philosophy department at Kyrgyz State National University for six years. She is married with two children.
