Political analysts have tied the 2020 protests to a socio-economic divide between Kyrgyzstan'sagrarian south and more-developed north. Of the initial election results, 100 of the 120 seats were filled by southerners who supported Jeenbekov.[18]
The protests began on 5 October 2020, with a crowd of 1,000 people,[7] that grew to at least 5,000 people by evening inBishkek, the capital, in protest against the results of and allegations of vote-buying in the2020 parliamentary election.[8] After nightfall, following a police operation to clear theAla-Too Square of protesters withtear gas and water cannons, protesters allegedly attacked police officers with rocks and injured two of them.[19][20]
A seized fire truck outside the White House on 6 October 2020
In the early morning of 6 October 2020, the protesters reclaimed control of the Ala-Too Square in central Bishkek.[21] They also managed to seize theWhite House andSupreme Council buildings nearby, throwing paper from windows and setting them on fire,[4] also entering the President's offices. A protestor died and 590 others were injured.[22] Following the protests, the electoral authorities in the country annulled the results of the parliamentary elections.[9] Central Election Commission member Gulnara Jurabaeva also revealed the commission was considering self-dissolution.[23]
In the meantime, opposition groups claimed to be in power after seizing government buildings in the capital, and several provincial governors reportedly resigned.[4] President Jeenbekov said that he faced acoup d'état,[4] and told theBBC that he was "ready to give the responsibility to strong leaders".[24]
Former president Atambayev was rearrested on charges of inciting unrest
Opposition parties were unsuccessful atforming a new government on Wednesday, 7 October. Following the resignation of Prime Minister Boronov, former lawmaker Japarov was appointed to replace him. The opposition parties rejected Japarov's legitimacy and put forward their own candidate for prime minister, Tilek Toktogaziyev. Japarov claimed that he was already the "legitimate prime minister" and that he was appointed by "the parliament's majority." Boronov's resignation, however, had yet to be confirmed by President Jeenbekov, and government websites continued to list him as the prime minister on 7 October.[28]
Crowds gathered to protest the nomination of Japarov and demand the resignation of Jeenbekov. According to the Ministry of Healthcare, no fewer than 768 people injured during the protests had been treated by the country's hospitals and clinics as of Wednesday morning.[29] According toReuters, at least three distinct groups were attempting to claim leadership.[30]
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz parliamentarians launchedimpeachment procedures against Jeenbekov, according to a parliamentarian from opposition partyAta-Meken, Kanybek Imanaliev.[31]
Jeenbekov declared astate of emergency, ordering troops to deploy in Bishkek. The declaration imposed a 12-hourcurfew until 21 October.[32] Gunfire was heard during violent clashes in the capital that broke out after Jeenbekov's declaration.[33] Jeenbekov formally accepted Boronov's resignation.[34]
Kyrgyzstani special forces detained former president Atambayev in a raid on his compound.[35] Former Member of Parliament Japarov, who was freed from prison on 5 October by protesters, was nominated as interim prime minister by the parliament.[36]
A second state of emergency was declared by Jeenbekov in Bishkek from 12 to 19 October.[10][37] Opposition parties announced their intentions to oust him; Jeenbekov stated that he would consider resigning, but only after the political crisis was resolved. Another curfew was put in place, in effect from 10 pm to 5 am. Convoys of troops from theKyrgyz military were sent into the capital to control the situation.[37]
Kanatbek Isaev was elected as the newSpeaker of the Supreme Council, as there were no other candidates seeking the position.[38] Parliament endorsed Jeenbekov's second state of emergency declaration, after previously rejecting the first.[11] President Jeenbekov formally rejected the nomination of Japarov to the position of prime minister.[39]
Supporters of Sadyr Japarov at the old square on 14 October 2020Japarov was sworn-in as the new president, ending the protests. Prior to this, he was arrested for encouraging protesters to topple Jeenbekov.[citation needed]
Jeenbekov resigned asPresident of Kyrgyzstan in an attempt to end the unrest, while stating that he "calls on Japarov and the other politicians to withdraw their supporters out of the capital of the nation and to return the people of Bishkek to peaceful lives".[40][41] Japarov declared himself acting president.[12][42][43] Despite theConstitution stating that the speaker of the Supreme Council shouldsucceed the president, Isaev refused to assume office, resulting in Japarov becoming acting president.[44][45]
On 7 October,Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswomanHua Chunying said, "as a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner, China sincerely hopes that all parties in Kyrgyzstan can resolve the issue according to law through dialogue and consultation, and push for stability in Kyrgyzstan as soon as possible."[46]
On 7 October,Russian presidentVladimir Putin expressed that Russia is concerned by the political unrest taking place in Kyrgyzstan and hoped for a swift return to stability for the former Soviet state. Russia also gave assurances it was in touch with all sides in the conflict and hoped that the democratic process would be restored.[47] On 8 October,Russian spokesmanDmitry Peskov said "the situation looks like a mess and chaos", and Russia was obliged by a security treaty to prevent a total breakdown in the country.[48]
TheEuropean Union called on all political forces in the country to act within the framework of the constitution and to settle their disagreements peacefully.[49]
The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek expressed support for Jeenbekov, stating on 13 October that "the United States supports the efforts of President Jeenbekov, political leaders, civil society, and legal scholars to return the political life of the country to a constitutional order. It is clear that one of the obstacles towards democratic progress is the attempt by organized crime groups to exert influence over politics and elections."[39]
^"Opposition in Kyrgyzstan claims power after storming government buildings".CNN. 6 October 2020.Protesters then broke into the headquarters of the State Committee on National Security and freed former president Almazbek Atambayev, who was sentenced to a lengthy prison term this year on corruption charges after falling out with Jeenbekov, his successor.
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