DUSHANBE, October 12, 2010, Asia-Plus – US President Barack Obama on Monday congratulated the people for Kyrgyzstan on a “historic” election he said proved they were committed to power transfers by peaceful, democratic means.
Obama said in a written statement that there were some flaws and irregularities in the polls, which produced a surprise top showing for nationalists, but that the election showed “positive attributes” of a genuine democracy.
“I congratulate the people and government of the Kyrgyz Republic for carrying out orderly parliamentary elections yesterday,” Obama said.
“Above all, I congratulate the voters of Kyrgyzstan, who demonstrated by their participation in yesterday’s historic election that they are committed to selecting their government through peaceful, democratic means.”
“Elections are only one instrument of democratic governance. The next phase in Kyrgyzstan’s democratic restoration should be the formation of a coalition government that can govern the country effectively and peacefully.
“Given recent tragic events in Kyrgyzstan, there are serious challenges ahead.
“Yet yesterday’s vote should give supporters of democracy in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia and around the world hope.”
Nationalists unexpectedly emerged as the strongest force in the closely-fought elections, which were hailed as the first truly democratic polls in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.
The country awaited coalition bartering between five parties set to win parliament seats following the highly competitive polls, a scenario unknown in a region of strongman presidents and rubber-stamp parliaments.
The emergence of the virulently nationalist Ata-Zhurt party — whose leader has warned non-ethnic Kyrgyz citizens not to expect equal rights — was a surprise and came amid concerns of a resurgence of year”s deadly ethnic unrest.
Clashes between ethnic-majority Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks left between 400 and 2,000 people dead in the south of the country in June, with Uzbeks claiming they were the victims of targeted bloodletting by the security forces.
But President Roza Otunbayeva — who refused to push back the poll despite warnings it could spark fresh violence — hailed the elections as a landmark moment in the turbulent history of Kyrgyzstan, one of five Central Asian republics that broke away from the Soviet Union two decades ago.
