Kyrgyzstan: The opposition forces organized mass meeting against raising the electricity and heating tariffs
In the morning of March 10 the opposition forces in Kyrgyzstan launched the mass meeting against raising the electricity and heating tariffs in Naryn City stadium.
March 10, 2010. Naryn. Roza Otunbaeva gives a speech at the meeting. The photos are provided by NGO Coalition For Democracy and Civil Society.
Ferghana.Ru learned from Jumabek Osmonaliev, the coordinator of Social-Democratic party (SDPK) Naryn city branch, that the meeting gathered about 4000 people.
The demonstration was attended by the head of SDPK Roza Otunbaeva, former parliamentary deputy and Ak-Shumkar party leader Temir Sariev, Head of Ata-Meken party apparatus Almambet Shykmamatov, the Chairman of the Committee against political repressions Topchubek Turgunaliev and others.
March 10, 2010. Naryn
The meeting leaders demand to cancel the raise of electricity and heating tariffs, re-grant 110 kilowatt-hours of electricity for each resident of mountainous region and re-consider 50% addition to salary for "living in the mountainous region" that had been cancelled recently.
The opposition leaders also criticized the current regime policy that sells state assets in energy and other strategic industries as well as the family and the clan rule. Specifically, President’s son Maxim Bakiev and his state asset management policy were given very critical comments.
March 10, 2010. Naryn. A. Shekmamatov, the deputy Chairman of Ata Meken opposition party (leftmost), Temir Sariev, the Head of Ak-Shumkar party (rightmost)
Roza Otunbaeva invited all residents of Naryn for the grand opposition kurultai (meeting), scheduled for March 17 in Bishkek, i.e. one week prior to President’s "kurultai of consent" that will also consider the issue of raising electricity tariffs among other important issues.
The law enforcement officers have not interrupted the meeting.
It has to be mentioned that in November of 2009 the government of Kyrgyzstan decided to raise electricity and heating tariffs by twice (effective of January 1, 2010) and by five times (effective of July 1, 2010).
March 10, 2010. Naryn
On February 24 the activists in Naryn already conducted the protest action when they demanded to solve the number of social issues of the Naryn Oblast, located in the mountainous area, as well as to cancel possible transfer of land to China.
The opposition forces used the chance to intensify its political struggle. “The Naryn case" became the first alarm signal for the government, indicating that raised tariffs for utility services may become serious reason for growing the protest potential through more active involvement of the opposition parties.
On March 9 Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev already fired the Governor of the Naryn Oblast that gave verbal permission to conduct the meeting without prior notification of the local authorities. However, at today’s meeting the protesters noted that they deny new Governor Almazbek Akmataliev.