Close call?

The journalists are unsure of what our-man-in-Jalal-Abad is going to do next.  It seems that Bakiev is mulling over the idea of resignation.

“In what case would I resign? First of all, they should guarantee that in Kyrgyzstan there are no more people walking around with weapons, and no seizures or redistribution of property,” Bakiyev told reporters on Tuesday while sitting at a table outside his house.

“Also, I need to know that my own security and the security of members of my family and those close to me will be assured.”

Other reports said the interim government was willing to provide security for Bakiyev, who fled amid riots last week that killed 83 people in the capital Bishkek.

Roza Otunbayeva, the interim leader, told the Associated Press news agency that her government would offer security if Bakiyev stepped down and left the country.

“We will provide security guarantees which he’s entitled to under the constitution,” she said.

But there was no such offer for his family.  [NB: Hmmmmm]

Sorry, Maksim Bakiev – you’re out of luck.  Probably not a problem, [as the rumor is that he's in NYC, as he was on his way to DC at the time of the crisis. ]since he’s now safe in Riga, where he is involved in several companies.  The Foreign Ministry in Latvia is playing their role well, neither confirming nor denying his presence.

Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins (People’s Party) neither confirmed nor denied to reporters that M. Bakiyev was in Latvia. Riekstins merely indicated that Latvia’s consular services had not issued a visa to M. Bakiyev, meaning that he would be able to stay in Latvia only if a visa had been issued by another Schengen area state.

Al Jazeera titles the story “Kyrgyz president ‘offers to resign.’”  I might title it “Bakiev answers some hypothetical questions.”  CNN carries the story in its own way, taking the middle ground: Sources: Kyrgyz president willing to resign, with conditions Again, even if the man resigns tomorrow, I doubt that these stories have anything to do with it.

More frightening, Medvedev says that Kyrgyzstan could become a “second Afghanistan.”  I don’t believe that for even half a second, and wonder what on earth Medvedev was thinking.  My fear is that he’s making some kind of veiled threat, hoping that this situation hurts American interests in the region.  That same story, by the way, goes on to reiterate that Bakiev is refusing to consider the possibility of resignation.

The Opposition, or Interim Government, takes further steps towards legitimization by removing the old Constitutional Court.

One more interesting story – The Christian Science Monitor ponders the possible destinations for the exiled Bakiev, if/when he leaves the country.  They point out that Russia has refused sanctuary, even though Akaev has lived out his comfortable exile there for the past five years.  The USA is probably also out, along with most of the EU… perhaps a nice South American vacation is in order?  See the world, Bakiev!

This post was written by...

Michael Hancock-Parmer – author of 158 posts on Registan.net.

Michael earned an MA in Central Eurasian Studies in 2011 and remains a student at Indiana University pursuing a dual PhD in Russian History and Central Eurasian Studies. He served 6 months in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in 2005. After the events in Andijan and the subsequent closure of the program, he served 2 years in southern Kazakhstan, returning to the Midwest in 2007. His general area of interest is on post-Timur Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, centered on the Syr Darya river valley.

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