24 May 2011

Kyrgyzstan Still Fighting Corruption One Year After Ousting of Bakiev

One year after popular protests forced Kyrgyz strongman Kurmanbek Bakiev to flee the country for Belarus, the government of interim President Roza Otunbaeva (pictured here) is still struggling to fight corruption and organized crime says First Deputy Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov.

While some accuse the government of having done very little over the past year other than rename a mountain after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Mr. Babanov denied these claims. Fighting rampant corruption, bribery, and organized crime amidst soaring accusations against the government and infighting has never been done before in Kyrgyzstan, according to Mr. Babanov.

Nevertheless, Kyrgyzstan faces a myriad of problems, including the pro-Bakiev party being the largest party in the governing coalition, a weak economy, and the ever-present unrest of many of the country’s youth.

For the original story from GlobalSecurity.org, please click here.