Kurmanbek Bakiyev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
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| Курманбек Бакиев | |
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Bakiyev in 2009
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| 2nd President of Kyrgyzstan | |
| In office 14 August 2005 – 15 April 2010 Acting: 25 March 2005 – 14 August 2005 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Ishenbai Kadyrbekov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Roza Otunbayeva |
| 7th Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan | |
| In office 10 July 2005 – 15 August 2005 |
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| President |
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| Preceded by | Medetbek Kerimkulov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Felix Kulov |
| In office 28 March 2005 – 20 June 2005 Acting: 25 March 2005 – 28 March 2005 |
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| President | Askar Akayev |
| Preceded by | Nikolai Tanayev |
| Succeeded by | Medetbek Kerimkulov (acting) |
| In office 21 December 2000 – 22 May 2002 |
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| President | Askar Akayev |
| Preceded by | Amangeldy Muraliyev |
| Succeeded by | Nikolai Tanayev |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 August 1949 Masadan, Kyrgyz SSR, USSR |
| Political party | Ak Jol |
| Other political affiliations |
People's Movement of Kyrgyzstan |
| Spouse | Tatyana Bakiyeva |
| Domestic partner | Nazgul Tolomusheva |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Janish Bakiyev |
| Residences | Minsk, Belarus |
| Alma mater | Kuybyshev Polytechnic Institute |
Kurmanbek Bakiyev (born 1 August 1949) is a politician from Kyrgyzstan. He was the second president of Kyrgyzstan. He served from 2005 until 2010, when he was removed from office. After this, Bakiyev had to leave the country.
Before becoming president, Bakiyev led the People's Movement of Kyrgyzstan. He was very popular in the southern part of the country. On 25 March 2005, he became acting president. This happened after President Askar Akayev was removed during the Tulip Revolution. In October 2007, Bakiyev helped create the Ak Jol political party.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Kurmanbek Bakiyev was born on 1 August 1949. His birthplace was the village of Masadan in the Jalal-Abad Region of Kyrgyzstan. His father, Sali Bakiyev, was in charge of a collective farm. In 1978, he finished his studies at the Kuibyshev Polytechnic Institute.
Bakiyev served in the Soviet Army in 1974. From 1979 to 1985, he worked at a factory in Jalal-Abad. Later, he held important roles in local government. He was the Governor of the Jalal-Abad Region starting in 1995. He also served as Governor of the Chui Region. In December 2000, Bakiyev became the prime minister of Kyrgyzstan.
Presidency and Challenges
After the Tulip Revolution in 2005, Bakiyev won the presidential election. He received 89% of the votes. People had high hopes for his time in office.
However, his presidency faced many challenges. There were economic problems and concerns about how businesses were run. In 2006, many people protested in Bishkek. They said Bakiyev was not keeping his promises. These promises included limiting the president's power and fighting corruption. Bakiyev believed that the opposition was trying to remove him from power.
In April 2007, more protests happened. People demanded Bakiyev's resignation. He signed changes to the constitution to reduce his power. But the protests continued, with people wanting him to step down. There were some clashes between protesters and police.
During Bakiyev's presidency, Kyrgyzstan's relationship with China grew stronger. More Chinese students came to Kyrgyzstan. In February 2009, Bakiyev announced that a US Air Base would leave Kyrgyzstan. This decision came after a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Russia had promised a large investment to Kyrgyzstan.
Bakiyev was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election. After his re-election, people expected him to work on political and economic improvements.
In 2009, there were concerns about power shortages. During the winter of 2010, the country had regular blackouts. Energy prices also went up. In April 2010, Russia added taxes on energy sent to Kyrgyzstan. This immediately raised fuel and transport prices. It also led to a big protest in Talas.
In January 2010, Kyrgyzstan sent a group to China. They discussed ways to improve economic ties. A Chinese company signed a contract to build new power lines. This project aimed to make Kyrgyzstan less dependent on other countries for electricity. Bakiyev's son led this group.
In February 2010, Kyrgyzstan had to increase energy costs. Heating costs were expected to rise significantly. Russia supported his government until March 2010.
Concerns About Governance
During Kurmanbek Bakiyev's time as president, his brother, Zhanysh, became head of the State Security Service. This led to concerns about how the government was run.
International groups reported issues with human rights. These included concerns about arrests and limits on public gatherings. The situation was especially worrying in southern Kyrgyzstan.
The government also put pressure on independent media. Some opposition newspapers and TV channels were shut down. Access to certain internet sites was blocked. Between 2008 and 2010, there were reports of political opponents being arrested. This increased political tensions in the country.
Family Members in Important Roles
On March 2, 2006, Bakiyev's brother, Zhanysh, was appointed to a high position in national security.
In late 2009, Kurmanbek Bakiyev created a new agency. His son, Maxim Bakiyev, was put in charge of it. Around the same time, the government doubled prices for utilities like electricity and heating. In January 2010, a new tax was added to cell phone calls. Some believed this money went to a bank owned by Maxim Bakiyev.
There were also reports of pressure on officials. The head of the Central Election Commission, Klara Kabilova, left the country. She claimed Maxim Bakiyev had put pressure on her.
Members of the new government later stated that Maxim Bakiyev and his associates controlled fuel supplies to a US military base. This allowed them to make a lot of money.
Reports from the US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan suggested that money was paid for banking licenses. These payments, linked to Maxim Bakiyev, were said to be large sums.
Concerns About Funds from US Military Base
There were concerns that the Bakiyev family benefited from the Manas air base. They reportedly made a lot of money from contracts to supply fuel. US authorities were aware that these contracts involved members of the Bakiyev family. Experts told the US Congress that the US government supported the Bakiyev government to keep the Manas air base. Maxim Bakiyev's involvement in these arrangements was widely known.
It was reported that a large amount of money was moved out of Kyrgyzstan by the former President's family.
The US ambassador to Kyrgyzstan described Maxim Bakiyev as "smart" but also "corrupt." This was despite his involvement in various political issues.
The United States also had dealings with companies linked to former Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev for fuel supplies. Between 2003 and 2011, these companies secured contracts worth a very large amount of money. This amount was almost equal to Kyrgyzstan's total economic output in 2003.
2010 Revolution and Exile
In April 2010, major protests and unrest happened in the capital city. The government was overturned. Bakiyev reportedly went to the southern city of Osh. The head of the new temporary government, Roza Otunbayeva, said Bakiyev had not resigned. She stated he was trying to gather support.
On 13 April 2010, Bakiyev said he would resign if his safety was guaranteed. On 15 April 2010, Bakiyev left Kyrgyzstan for Kazakhstan. He signed a letter of resignation. Otunbayeva said she would still try to bring Bakiyev to trial.
On 20 April, the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, announced that Bakiyev and his family were in Minsk, Belarus. He said they were guests and under the protection of the state.
On 21 April, Bakiyev held a press conference in Minsk. He stated, "I, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, am the legally elected president of Kyrgyzstan." He added, "I do not recognise my resignation." He called Otunbayeva's government an "illegitimate gang."
Parliamentary Elections of 2010
Ata-Zhurt, a political party, wanted Kurmanbek Bakiyev to return to power. In the 2010 Kyrgyz parliamentary election, this party won the most seats. They secured 28 out of 120 seats.
Life in Minsk
In Kyrgyzstan, Bakiyev was found guilty in his absence. He was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2010 uprising. The Kyrgyz government has asked Belarus to send Bakiyev back. However, Belarus has refused to do so. This has caused disagreements between the two countries.
Bakiyev was joined in Belarus by his wife Tatyana, his two sons, and his partner Nazgul Tolomusheva. In February 2012, reports said Bakiyev was given Belarusian citizenship in 2010. In a 2017 interview, Bakiyev claimed that leaders from Russia and the US helped coordinate his safe departure to Minsk.
In February 2019, the US Treasury announced that over $4 million linked to Bakiyev would be returned to Kyrgyzstan. On 6 August 2019, Bakiyev met with President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. They met to celebrate Bakiyev's 70th birthday. Lukashenko gave him traditional gifts. The meeting made the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry upset. They said it did not fit the friendly relations between the two countries. In July 2021, Bakiyev was accused of issues related to a gold mine.
Family Life
Bakiyev's wife is Tatyana Vasilevna Petrova. She is of Russian background. She was born in Samara and grew up in what is now Moldova.
When he was president, several of Bakiyev's family members held important government positions. At least five close relatives worked in high-level roles. His brother Janysh was in charge of the presidential guard. Another brother, Marat, was Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to Germany. Another brother, Adyl, was an adviser to Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to China.
After Bakiyev was removed from power, his younger son, Maksim, faced charges. These charges were about misusing funds and power. It was suspected that he moved a large sum of money from a loan into his private bank accounts.
Besides Kyrgyz, Bakiyev also speaks Russian and Uzbek.
Kurmanbek Bakiyev has a son, Daniyar, born in 2004, and a daughter, Leyla, born in 2000. Their mother was Nazgul Tolomusheva. Nazgul Tolomusheva passed away on January 15, 2023.
Awards
- Order of the Olympic Council of Asia (2009)
- Order of the Commonwealth
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (Belarus, 2014)
See also
In Spanish: Kurmanbek Bakíev para niños
