Tulip Revolution facts for kids

The Tulip Revolution, also called the First Kyrgyz Revolution, was a big change in the government of Kyrgyzstan. It happened in 2005. This event led to the country's president, Askar Akayev, leaving power.

The revolution started after the country's parliamentary elections in February and March 2005. People who were protesting said that Akayev and his supporters were involved in corruption and were acting like a dictator. President Akayev left Kyrgyzstan and went to Kazakhstan and then to Russia. He officially resigned on April 4, 2005. The new government in Kyrgyzstan accepted his resignation on April 11, 2005.

What Was the Tulip Revolution?

At first, people called this event by different names, like the "Pink," "Lemon," or "Daffodil" revolution. But it was President Akayev himself who called it the "Tulip Revolution." He used this name to warn that a "Color Revolution" should not happen in Kyrgyzstan.

Using a flower or color name made it sound similar to other peaceful protests around the world. These included the Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004. Other examples were the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia (1989) and the Carnation Revolution in Portugal (1974). These were all movements where people protested for change, often without violence.

A person named Givi Targamadze from Georgia helped the protest leaders in Ukraine. He later gave advice to the leaders of the Kyrgyz opposition during the Tulip Revolution. He taught them about peaceful ways to protest.

Who Were the Leaders?

Even though the opposition groups gained control in many parts of the country, they had some disagreements among themselves. They also didn't have one clear leader. This was different from the Ukrainian and Georgian protests, where the opposition groups were more united.

One important person who could have been a leader was Roza Otunbayeva. She had been involved in politics for a long time. After the 2005 revolution, Otunbayeva worked in the new temporary government. She was the acting foreign minister.

Another possible leader was Kurmanbek Bakiyev. He had been the prime minister of Kyrgyzstan before. In 2002, he left his job after police shot and killed five peaceful protesters.

On March 21, 2005, the opposition groups were most united at a protest in Jalal-Abad. Otunbayeva said that even police officers joined their side. This showed they had a lot of support.

The opposition leaders met in Bishkek on March 22, 2005. They formed a temporary government. The highest court in Kyrgyzstan first said the old parliament was still in charge. But then, on March 24, 2005, it recognized the new temporary government. Bakiyev was made the acting prime minister. New elections were planned for July 2005.

Outside Help for the Protesters

Some reports said that the United States government helped the opposition protesters. This help came from groups like the State Department and USAID. They gave money to the only opposition newspaper in Kyrgyzstan. When the power was cut to this newspaper, the U.S. embassy provided emergency power generators. Other protest groups and a TV station also received money from the U.S. government and U.S.-based groups.

How the Government Changed

After protests on March 19 and 20, 2005, President Akayev told election officials to look into claims of unfair elections. He wanted them to find out what was true.

On March 22, Akayev fired his interior minister and the general prosecutor. On March 23, 2005, Akayev sent out riot police, and thirty people were arrested.

On March 24, 2005, Akayev and his family left the country. He went to Kazakhstan and then to Russia. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, offered him a safe place to stay. On April 3, 2005, Akayev officially resigned. The new temporary government accepted his resignation on April 11, 2005.

When Akayev left, Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev also resigned. The opposition took control of important government services, like the television station. Police officers either left or joined the protesters. Opposition leaders who were in jail, like Felix Kulov, were set free. The highest court in Kyrgyzstan said the election results were not valid.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev became the acting prime minister and acting president. He put together a temporary group of government leaders. There were some problems with people stealing from stores and ATMs in Bishkek. Some buildings were set on fire. Three people died during this unrest. Bakiyev made Felix Kulov the acting minister for the interior. Kulov spoke on television and asked everyone to stay calm.

The temporary government announced that new presidential elections would happen on July 10, 2005. However, some news groups criticized Bakiyev. They said he wasn't open about things and didn't bring back order.

On May 13, 2005, Bakiyev and Kulov decided to work together for the July 10 presidential election. They agreed that if Bakiyev became president, Kulov would be made prime minister. This agreement helped unite different parts of the country and made the election more stable.

Challenges for the New Government

The new temporary government faced several challenges.

Land Issues

One challenge was dealing with people claiming land rights in Bishkek. Police had trouble stopping armed people from taking land by force. A leader of civilian patrols in Bishkek was also killed.

Claims of Corruption

On March 24, 2005, Akayev's personal notes were shown as proof of corruption. A group of citizens, government workers, and others was formed to look into corruption during Akayev's time as president. On April 21, 2005, this group shared details about many businesses that Akayev's family controlled. The new government also said that Akayev had stopped peaceful protests with violence and arrests. They claimed that on March 24, 2005, Akayev's men, dressed in regular clothes, attacked protesters.

Refugees from Andijan

On May 13, 2005, a terrible event happened in Andijan, Uzbekistan. Government security agents shot at protesters, and many people were hurt or killed. Up to six thousand refugees from Uzbekistan came into Kyrgyzstan. These refugees could not go back to Uzbekistan because of harsh actions by their government.

At first, Bakiyev supported the Uzbek government's actions. But later, with help from other countries, the Kyrgyz government gave legal status to the refugees. International aid groups helped the refugees with shelter, food, and water. However, on June 9, 2005, four Uzbek refugees were sent back to Uzbekistan. Kulov said these four were accused of serious crimes.

Before the Election

On June 10, 2005, a politician named Jyrgalbek Surabaldiyev was killed in Bishkek. He might have been involved in attacks on anti-Akayev protesters on March 24, 2005. On June 13, 2005, six people were hurt in a fight between protesters and security agents in Osh. In this event, security agents shot at protesters outside a hotel.

On June 17, 2005, protesters gathered in Bishkek to support Urmat Baryktabasov. He was an old friend of Akayev. He wanted to be a presidential candidate but was not allowed because he was a citizen of both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Some protesters later said they had been paid to attend this protest.

New Elections and Aftermath

On July 10, 2005, the promised elections took place. Bakiyev won with ninety percent of the votes. The next day, he became president. Kulov was then made Prime Minister.

Western observers praised how the election was run. However, they also noticed some problems. Election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) had a different view. They said the elections were well-organized and fair. They also praised local officials for handling the protests well. This difference in opinions between the OSCE and CIS observers has happened before in other elections. Russia supported the CIS reports.

The New York Times reported that American money and support helped the anti-Akayev protests. This help provided ways to print flyers and other materials.

Kofi Annan, who was the head of the United Nations, said that he was against using violence to solve political problems. He asked all groups to act calmly.

See also

• Kyrgyzstani presidential election, 2005
• Kyrgyzstani parliamentary election, 2005
• Politics of Kyrgyzstan
• Colour revolution