March 17, 2005

Another Revolution

It could be the domino effect of democracy. Most recently the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine saw the toppling of a dictator and the installation the Opposition leader after a re-run of fraudulent elections. Just over a year ago, it was the Rose Revolution in Georgia.

Now we may be looking at the "Lemon Revolution" or "Tulip Revolution" in Kyrgyzstan. Askar Akayev has been the only president of Kyrgyzstan since the former Soviet republic achieved independence from Moscow in 1990. He has promised to step down and not stand in the presidential election scheduled for October 30th this year. However, the Opposition charges that the parliamentary elections held on February 27th have packed the unicameralised Jorgorku Kenesh with Akayev's relatives.

In the usual ex-Soviet stongman style, Akayev has repeatedly told the Opposition that any attempt to imitate the Ukraine will result in a civil war. But democracy is a powerful, and often addictive, thing. With people who just can't get enough of it, they will often resort to anything to get it or keep it. They have even been known to die for it.

Sometimes even the most hardened autocrats, mugged while passing down the dark alleyway of history, have been know to hand over what they have and count themselves lucky to have escaped with their lives.

Posted by david at March 17, 2005 12:30 AM | TrackBack
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