Almazbek Atambaev: businessman, revolutionary, president of Kyrgyzstan

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Little Kyrgyzstan after the collapse of the USSR was famous among other Central Asian republics for the most liberal and democratic form of government. Independent mass media were produced, real opposition acted. However, for many politicians, this has become only a convenient way to easily seize power. From the middle of the 2000s, revolutions and upheavals shook Kyrgyzstan, as a result of which the ambitious and ambitious Almazbek Atambayev climbed to the top of power. Since 2011, he has been acting President of the Republic.

How to become an oligarch thanks to translations from Kyrgyz into Russian

Atambaev Almazbek Sharshenovich was born in 1956 in the then Frunze region in the village of Strelnikovo (now Arashan). The childhood of the future president was unsweetened, for some time his mother was even offered to take a green-eyed Kyrgyz boy to be raised by a Belarusian family. However, where there are three, there are four, and Almazbek escaped the fate of a foster child.

The only road to the top in those years was hard study. Almazbek Atambayev tried his beststrength and achieved admission to the Moscow Institute. After graduating from the capital's university with a diploma in engineering and economics, in 1980 he began his career in various organizations of the Ministry of Communications of the Kirghiz SSR. A year later, he achieved the position of chief engineer of the road maintenance department.

A young and ambitious economist, Almazbek dreamed of breaking into power and in 1983 managed to get into the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic, where he served as editor and referent. At the same time, he is successfully translating books by Kyrgyz writers into Russian. For two years, Almazbek Atambayev was deputy chairman of the district executive committee, but in 1989 he rightly judged that it was time to take advantage of the fruits of perestroika and realize himself in business.

From now on, he heads the research and production company "Forum". After the collapse of the USSR, a businessman buys shares of bankrupt enterprises for nothing. According to him, he earned this money by translating books by Kyrgyz writers.

Return to politics

Almazbek Atambayev perceived his involvement in business and retirement from politics only as a temporary strategic retreat. Having earned enough to finance his movement, he returns to his dreams of power once again. In 1993, a native of the Frunze region creates his own Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.

Two years later, he successfully ran for the lower house of the parliament of the republic. Here the politician develops active opposition activities, eventually becoming the chairmanReform faction. The future president of Kyrgyzstan does not leave a profitable business. Enterprises from various sectors of the economy gather under the banner of his "Forum", and he successfully attracts Chinese investors. As a result, in 2004, Forbes magazine included the politician among the 100 richest people in the country.

However, in 2000, his contradictions with the current executive branch went too far. Atambayev was again re-elected to parliament, but was deprived of parliamentary powers and immunity. He was charged with concealing property and tax evasion and faced a real threat of imprisonment. To avoid an unenviable fate, Almazbek Atambayev decided to run for president and receive immunity from prosecution. The first attempt turned out to be blurry, he was able to get only 6 percent of the vote.

Fiery Revolutionary

In 2005, the first "great" revolution broke out in Kyrgyzstan. Crowds of demonstrators led by power-hungry millionaires swept away the legitimate government of Askar Akayev.

The only liberal and democratic ruler in Central Asia was overthrown by people who gained power and money thanks to his efforts to develop the country.

Almazbek Atambayev was in the very center of events and took an active part in the "tulip" revolution. Together with other winners, he received his portion of power and became the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism. However, Almazbek Atambayev, a strong and independent politician, could not get along with the newPresident Bakiyev and was dismissed.

Becoming one of the leaders of the opposition, he led the movement for reforms in power and soon forced the country's president to change the constitution of the republic. Bakiyev realized that a dangerous enemy should be kept to himself, and returned him to the government, appointing him prime minister. However, Atambayev lasted less than a year at the head of the Cabinet of Ministers.

President of Kyrgyzstan

In 2010, the second phase of the revolution took place in Kyrgyzstan, and the eternal oppositionist returns to Olympus again. In the interim government, Almazbek Atambayev served as deputy chairman of the government, and after the approval of the Constitution, he became prime minister.

In 2011, he ran for the presidency for the third time in his life.