Former president of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev said that he sees not only problems, but also new opportunities for economic growth and strengthening of the country.
According to him, there is no such devastation in the country now as it was in the first years of his presidency.
«The ruins in Osh and Jalal-Abad were still smoking, people across the country sometimes had no electricity and gas for days, there were no normal roads even in the capital. I remember that the soldiers in the army did not even have enough uniforms and food, to say nothing of weapons. We have people who cannot be intimidated and brought to their knees. I believe that our country, despite all the problems, will have a worthy future,» Almazbek Atambayev said.
Today people hold rallies not for electricity and gas, but in defense of the rights and freedoms of citizens and entrepreneurs, and that’s great! We have a strong civil society, we have sharp-toothed media that have actually replaced the Parliament and raise all topical issues instead of it.
Almazbek Atambayev
It should be noted that during the presidency of Almazbek Atambaev, many politicians were arrested and prosecuted on politically motivated criminal cases with a fabricated evidence base, including ex-deputies of Parliament Omurbek Tekebayev, Akhmatbek Keldibekov, ex-mayor of Bishkek Nariman Tyuleev, as well as human rights activists, civil activists, media and journalists. Atambayev himself or representatives of his inner circle filed multimillion lawsuits against representatives of the mass media. Only while being in prison, the former president actually admitted that the country cannot develop without freedom of speech.
