BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) – Kyrgyzstan’s president told his new Cabinet on Friday to avoid confrontation with the parliament, noting that “abnormal relations” triggered the resignation of the previous government and weeks of political wrangling.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev met with Cabinet ministers for the first time following parliament’s approval last week of his ally Azim Isabekov as the new prime minister.
Isabekov, the agriculture minister, was a compromise candidate nominated by Bakiyev after he failed twice to get backing for Felix Kulov to return as prime minister. Kulov resigned in December over disagreements with lawmakers about the extent of presidential powers and about the country joining a World Bank debt relief program.
“The abnormal relations between the (old) government and parliament had simply blocked the passage of bills,” Bakiyev told the Cabinet. “You should draw serious lessons from that.”
Kulov said constitutional changes adopted last year that increased parliament’s authority complicated the government’s work with lawmakers. After Kulov stepped down, Bakiyev pushed through new amendments that gave back to him the right to form a government.
Kulov supported joining the World Bank program, while lawmakers said it would make the country dependent on the institution.
The ex-Soviet republic has been plagued by political instability since the March 2005 ouster of longtime leader Askar Akayev.
The United States maintains a military base in Kyrgyzstan – its only such outpost in former Soviet Central Asia – to back up operations in Afghanistan. Russia, which has strong influence in Kyrgyzstan, also has an air base in the country.
