On Thursday 24 March 2005, President Akayev fled the country as protesters overran government buildings. The
Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev also resigned within the same day creating a power vacuum. The
constitution clearly states “If the President becomes unable to carry out their duties for reasons such as death, illness or impeachment, the Prime Minister shall carry out their duties until the election of a new head of state. This must take place within three months of the termination of their Presidency.” This therefore presented the Kyrgyz parliament with a legal problem.
Ishenbai Kadyrbekov, the
Speaker of Parliament immediately assumed power, unconstitutionally. The next day,
opposition leader
Kurmanbek Bakiyev was appointed prime minister and thus interim president. The interim period was one of increasing political tension and a breakdown in the
rule of law. The new
unicameral parliament – elected amid allegations of fraud – went into session on 22 March. However, its mandate was revoked just two days later, with the
Supreme Court declaring the old chamber the rightful body. This decision was then once more revoked by an agreement between the rival chambers. The “old”
parliament dissolved itself, and the “new” parliament gained recognition as the legitimate body (although a number of individual seats remained in dispute and subject to review by courts). This drew some protests from people who argued that the
uprising was in direct relation to the rigged election which had created the new legislature. Additionally
Bermet Akayeva and other politicians were allowed to sit in the new chamber for a significant period, before also having their mandates declared null and void. The former president, Akayev refused to resign until April, creating a legally questionable period whereby two heads of state existed (The parliament had allowed Bakiyev to take over without impeaching Akayev or initiating any legal process that formally ended his Presidency). The former leader's lawyers are still claiming that he legally remains President of Kyrgyzstan. An upsurge in violence also occurred following the revolution. On 1 June hundreds of people forced their way into Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court, ejecting protesters who had held it for more than a month. The occupation was being held in support of candidates who lost during the parliamentary elections in April. The
sit-in had prevented the court from operating. After an hour of clashes, unarmed police and soldiers reportedly managed to separate the two groups, whilst one witness said they had seen several injured people taken away in
ambulances. Kyrgyz legislator
Jyrgalbek Surabaldiev was shot dead in
Bishkek on 10 June, following an attack on another politician
Bayaman Erkinbayev in April. During the same day protesters, allegedly demonstrating against Erkinbayev, were fired on in the southern city of
Osh. At least one person was killed, and five others were injured as a result of the violence. ==Candidates==