You're reading: Three Kyrgyz parties agree new coalition government

BISHKEK - Three Kyrgyz political parties agreed on Monday, Sept. 3, to form a coalition to run the volatile Central Asian republic, two weeks after the government collapsed under the strain of a shrinking economy and graft allegations.

The new coalition was made up of three of the four parties
in the previous administration – the Social-Democratic Party of
Kyrgyzstan, Ata-Meken and Ar-Namys.

It excluded the Respublika party of former prime minister
Omurbek Babanov, who resigned on Saturday.

The last government collapsed on Aug. 22 after Ata-Meken and
Ar-Namys walked out, protesting against economic contraction and
accusing Babanov of not doing enough to tackle widespread
corruption.

Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia’s only parliamentary democracy, is
backed by the United States but viewed with suspicion by former
imperial master Russia. Both countries have military air bases
in the country.

The divided and impoverished former Soviet republic lies
along a major drug trafficking route from Afghanistan and has
suffered periodic bouts of ethnic violence.

Coalition members said they had identified Zhantoro
Satybaldiyev, head of the presidential administration and free
from any party affiliation, as their chosen candidate for the
premiership. A parliamentary vote on his candidacy is expected
this week.

The Social-Democratic Party has been a leading proponent of
the parliamentary system that replaced two decades of failed
authoritarian rule since independence from the Soviet Union.

The coalition members did not outline any new policies on
Monday, but have previously stated their ambition to stamp out
corruption and attract investment.

Kyrgyzstan’s economy relies heavily on output from the
Kumtor gold mine, owned by Canadian miner Centerra Gold,
and remittances from migrant workers. Per capita GDP is less
than a tenth of that in oil-rich neighbour Kazakhstan.

When they withdrew from the previous coalition, deputies
from Ata-Meken said Kyrgyzstan risked defaulting on its $2.8
billion foreign debt.

The new three-party coalition will make up 67 of the
country’s 120 parliamentary deputies. Ata-Meken leader Omurbek
Tekebayev said he hoped another 15 deputies from the two
opposition parties in parliament could be persuaded to join.