Kyrgyzstan, July 23: People in Kyrgyzstan, a Muslim nation key to U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan, streamed to the polls on Thursday in a presidential vote watched closely for any signs of unrest that could disturb peace in Central Asia.
From its nomadic settlements in the north to the ethnically divided south, Kyrgyzstan’s 2.7 million voters started casting their ballots at 0200 GMT in a poll certain to extend incumbent Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s rule by another five years.
At the heart of Russian-U.S. rivalry in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is home to U.S. and Russian military air bases, and its stability is vital to efforts to prevent the spread of violence from Afghanistan across the former Soviet region.
Poverty and shrinking living standards in an economy reliant on remittances have added to disenchantment. Bakiyev is accused of cracking down on dissent and free media.
“I voted against Bakiyev,” said Nina, a 65-year-old pensioner who asked to be identified by first name only. “Nothing will change. This country has no future under him.”
Bakiyev came to power in 2005 after he charmed the West with promises of democracy following a wave of violent protests that unseated his long-serving predecessor, Askar Akayev.
Speaking after casting his ballot in the capital Bishkek, a Soviet-designed town perched in the foothills of the Tien-Shan mountains, Bakiyev promised to maintain balance in his relations with Russia and the United States if re-elected.
“We will cooperate with all parties and build relations based on mutual respect, trust and benefit,” he told reporters.
The opposition has vowed to stage protests in case of fraud. A party headed by Bakiyev’s main opposition challenger, Almazbek Atambayev, said its observes had uncovered irregularities such as absentee ballot fraud just hours after poll opening.
“We have discovered dozens of such cases,” it said in a statement. The central election commission could not be reached for comment. The Bakiyev administration said it was doing everything to ensure the vote was fair and transparent.
ISLAMIST MILITANTS
Kyrgyzstan and the rest of Central Asia, largely peaceful since 2005, have been volatile in past weeks as fighting intensified in the adjacent areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Some security analysts believe however the surge of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s offensive against militants, may have forced Taliban fighters of Central Asian origin to trickle back into the former Soviet region.
Security was tight across Kyrgyzstan on election day, with 5,000 officers on high alert and extra measures enforced in the potentially restive border areas in the Ferghana Valley.
Some critics however have accused Bakiyev and other regional leaders of using the Islamist threat to bolster re-election chances and win concessions from the United States and Russia.
Bakiyev’s unpredictable foreign policy has puzzled his partners. He said in February he would evict U.S. forces from Manas military base but later changed his mind and allowed the United States to keep the base. He is now in talks with Russia to open a military training hub in Kyrgyzstan.
“Bakiyev’s presidency is increasingly hard for international partners to deal with as he has grown into the shoes of an autocratic president who is good at playing off conflicting interests,” IHS Global Insight said in an analytical note.
—-Agencies