The rapid downfall of Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek...

Nor did anyone predict the Tulip Revolution of March 24, 2005, when Bakiyev"s predecessor, Askar Akayev, was removed from power. Why does Kyrgyz politics experience such radical changes?

This unrest in Kyrgyzstan was hardly provoked by outside forces. Both Russia and the United States, which have military bases there, are interested in the stability of the Kyrgyz regime. Foreign criticism of Bakiyev was subdued, emanating only from international organizations. During his recent visit, Mr Ban merely reminded Bakiyev that "media independence, tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity and a robust civil society are all fundamental to modernization." To sum up, the new revolution had domestic causes. The tranquility that seemed to have settled in Kyrgyzstan in the recent years of Bakiyev"s five-year rule proved deceptive. What were his main mistakes?

Akayev, who lost power in similar circumstances five years ago, was often accused of weakness and failing to use sufficiently

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