Parliament. Suite of six kings
Six factions: the Social Democratic Party (38 seats), Ata Meken (11), Kyrgyzstan (18), Onuguu-Progress (13), Respublika - Ata Jurt (28) and Bir Bol (12) legislate in the current Parliament. The first four have created a ruling coalition, and the last two belong to the opposition.
24.kg news agency decided to consider the persons of six factions leaders, because each of them is conducting an independent policy in the Parliament, and many things depend on their decisions, including the present and the future of the government.
Right to the first
Star of the head of the majority coalition and the leader of the Social Democratic Party faction Chynybay Tursunbekov appeared on the political horizon in 2010. Six years ago, no one knew about such a politician. People said he is, allegedly, a successful businessman, but not more. Initially, Chynybay Tursunbekov was in sympathy with the ideas of Ata Meken party and its leader Omurbek Tekebayev. But later he received a better offer from the Social Democrats. Nevertheless, Tursunbekov and Tekebayev often meet and consult for a long time.
In the 5th convocation of the Parliament, being the leader of the faction, Chynybay Tursunbekov was passive. Perhaps he acted like a gray mouse also because he could not acclimatize in the Parliament. Especially, when there were more powerful players who can masterfully play political games: Omurbek Tekebayev, Felix Kulov, Kamchybek Tashiev and Akhmatbek Keldibekov. Many deputies were lost in their background.
The Social Democratic Party faction at that time was floating down the river and did not get into something, trying not to get involved in public scandals and intrigues. Tursunbekov then decided that he should wait the difficult period out, and watched silently as others drowned each other. He did not avoid contact with the press, showing all that he is open for writing and shooting fraternity. By the way, the question why SDPK elected him its boss is still open. And although the chair under Chynybay Tursunbekov was swinging more than once, each time he has managed to solve everything in his favor.
In this, the sixth convocation of the Parliament, Chynybay Tursunbekov as leader of the Social Democratic Party faction became more active. The position of the head of the majority coalition also contributed to it. He has to unwittingly take responsibility not only for the fraction, but for the entire alliance. The distinguishing feature of a Social Democrat is that he is not quickly provoked, forgiving, he is trying to listen to different points of view before announcing a verdict. Exactly his loyalty to others in some way helps him to survive on the political Olympus.
Tursunbekov does not cause aggression in others, he talks to all gently, sometimes tries to avoid direct answer, but he rarely succeeds in it. The head of the majority coalition is not able so far to take part in complicated political games. He prefers to negotiate. The head of the majority coalition acted in similar way in election of a new Speaker of the Parliament after the resignation of Asylbek Jeenbekov. The Parliament was set a task as soon as possible to elect not only a new prime minister, but the speaker also. But as there were two candidates, and both from the majority coalition, Chynybay Tursunbekov decided not to hurry and urged to agree and put up one candidate for the post of speaker.
For some time he suffered from the prime minister's ambitions, though carefully concealed it.
Slow and sure
The leader of Bir Bol faction Altynbek Sulaimanov believes his team showed a good result in the last elections, taking 12 seats. He has appeared on the political scene in the time of Bakiyev, when he was tight-lipped deputy of Ak Jol party. After the change of regime Altynbek Sulaimanov joined Respublika party of Omurbek Babanov.
After the expulsion of the leader of Respublika Kanat Isaev from the post in the fifth convocation, he led it for some time, but did not show any organizational skills in the post. And then he decided to create his own Bir Bol party. He pulled it by himself for some time and did not keep a secret that the party affairs fairly have emptied his wallet.
Altynbek Sulaimanov is inert politician, prefers to go with the flow. When the ruling majority coalition was formed, he made a lot of efforts to get into it, but it did not work out. But he did not unite in opposition with the former chief Omurbek Babanov, so their factions oppose the majority coalition separately.
Meanwhile, Bir Bol members can't complain. They, not representatives of Respublika-Ata Jurt, got the seats of chairmen of profile committees of the Parliament, which according to legislation, should belong to the opposition. And therefore, Altynbek Sulaimanov is put in rigid frames. In order not to lose positions in the Parliament, he does not conduct his own political game and accepts the terms of the majority coalition.
Unlike Chynybay Tursunbekov, Altynbek Sulaimanov is able to spin intrigues, play his own game and fight for his own hand. The public still remembers the fight with Kamchybek Tashiev in the fifth convocation of the Parliament when two tall politicians beat up each other in front of hundreds of witnesses, and a dozen cameras. However, then there was a rapid reconciliation with putting on chapans and ak kalpaks.
Risk guy
Risk man who is ready to put everything on the line- so can we say about the leader of Kyrgyzstan faction Kanat Isaev. Unlike other deputies, he was not slow on the political scene and immediately began making loud statements, since his post- the head of majority coalition and the leader of Respublika faction- allowed him to behave like that. But then Kanat Isaev had some disagreement with the party leader Omurbek Babanov, and the latter asked him to resign as the head of the faction.
But the conflict was not over. It turned into a personal feud. Omurbek Babanov was the Prime Minister at the time, while Kanat Isaev had a difficult period in his life, he even ceased to appear in Parliament until he was appointed an authorized representative of the government in Chui region. Initially, it was assumed that Isaev will continue taking this position, but together with his friend Sharshenbek Abdykerimov (owner of Ayu-Holding Group) he created Kyrgyzstan party. They invited friends with considerable capital, and the party showed a good result in the parliamentary and local elections.
Kanat Isaev loves the risk, he does not consider it necessary to wait for solution of any situation, often asking for trouble. Unlike other politicians, he is not afraid of washing dirty linen in public. During the work of the sixth convocation of the Parliament, his faction turned out to be involved in the scandal with the expulsion of unwanted deputies - Elmira Dzhumalieva, Cholpon Esenamanova and Urmat Ishenbekov.
Leader of Kyrgyzstan faction was the initiator of the creation of a parliamentary commission to study the legality of the tender for the reconstruction of Balykchy - Korumdu road, which was one of the reasons for the resignation of the Prime Minister Temir Sariev.
Rest break
The opposition member with twenty years of experience, habitual frequenter of anti-government protests until 2010 and the permanent leader of Ata Meken Omurbek Tekebayev is, as they say, a born politician. But lately, he is clearly tired of heading the camp of opponents of the authorities, so the Socialists even with the rights of the poor relatives, but entered a coalition of the parliamentary majority. This oldest party suffers defeat after defeat. But Tekebayev attributes these failures, rather, to a series of unfortunate accidents and claims that the time of "frigid young men with burning eyes," full of ebullient ideas, has passed long ago. Their place is occupied by thick wallets.
In the local elections in six towns on March 27, Ata Meken with a bang has lost to Kyrgyzstan, Onuguu-Progress, Respublika-Ata Jurt and Bir Bol. And again, Omurbek Tekebayev smiles saying: "The money, not ideology, has won."
The main Socialist remains true to himself. He still criticizes the government, but with restraint, and not from the square platform, but from the parliamentary one. And he calls his former colleagues in the opposition camp "short-sighted". And it's not a lack of money for the organization of a "small victorious action," but the lack of a leader. Omurbek Tekebayev believes.
The top officials have realized that the "father" of the Constitution is no longer dangerous and is tired when voluntary-compulsory forced him to accept that a moratorium on the amendments to the Basic Law, valid until 2020, should be canceled. As far back as two years ago, Omurbek Tekebayev, who scolded the former fellow party member and now a defendant Karganbek Samakov for intent to edit the Constitution, now agrees that it is in need of revision.
Omurbek Tekebayev is called a strong leader. In the past convocation all the factions suffered from the division of the interest groups and ordinary members periodically attempted to overthrow their "leaders", and only Ata Meken resisted it. Expunged from the party Omurbek Abdyrakhmanov and Ravshan Jeenbekov does not count. But the cohesion of the ranks and loyalty to their leader did not help. Ata Meken came last to the finish line in the elections of 2015.
Commander of fields and arable lands
Compared with Omurbek Tekebayev, leader of Onuguu-Progress Bakyt Torobaev is considered to be "green" politician. He founded the party from the formed Respublika members, and he stepped on the political Olympus in 2007 as Ak Jol member. From February till April of 2010, he headed the Emergency Situations Ministry, after the bloody events he has not been noticed in big politics. Later on, he appeared at the forefront of Respublika together with Tynchtyk Shaynazarov, Mirlan Bakirov and Altynbek Sulaimanov.
Fellow party members of Bakyt Torobaev gave priority to agriculture and under the slogan "Land to peasants, low credits -to farmers" secured the love of the electorate, which was enough for 13 seats. "Flour King" of Jalal-Abad is quite ambitious. For nearly a week he conducts a life-and-death fight with Kanat Isaev for the post of Speaker. By the way, in 2014 he tried to push the brother Askarali Torobaev to the chair of the head of the State Registration Service through Ar-Namys faction. But he failed.
Everything jumbled together... people, horses
Respublika - Ata Jurt of Omurbek Babanov took the second place in the race for mandates in 2015. By the way, exactly this party set records in the number of pre-election campaign violations. CEC members even tried to remove it from the race, but it only cost it the removal of co-chairman of the party Kamchybek Tashiyev. The last cast anchor in the local opposition. The same party retained in memory also by an unprecedented scandal in the allocation of seats among the listed candidates. Omurbek Babanov pressed on the conscience and morality, calling those who brought the votes, gave the money and rightfully counted on deputy seats oath-breakers and the erased candidates accused him of promoting "close people."
For the first months of work of the Parliament, Omurbek Babanov and the team demanded to reduce the maintenance costs of the Parliament and accuses colleagues of self-indulgence. However, all these did not move further than formal cuts and an increase, at their expense, in factional secretariats. Parliamentary journalists expected that with the coming of Omurbek Babanov to the Parliament there will be more loud and revealing speeches, verbal swordplay with his namesake Tekebayev.
But nothing has happened. Having fought for show against the waste of people's deputies of the Parliament and having withdrawn Jyrgalbek Samatov from the faction, Omurbek Babanov lies low. And his faithful companions in the faction, fearing to get out of Parliament, keep the silence too.