Almaz Atambayev
President of Kyrgyzstan
Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev ( born September 17, 1956) is President of Kyrgyzstan, having also been Prime Minister from 29 March 2007 until 28 November 2007. He has also served as Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan since 30 July 1999. In October 2011, Atambayev was elected President of Kyrgyzstan and is set to take office on 31 December 2011.
Atambayev was an unsuccessful candidate in the October 2000 presidential election, receiving 6% of the vote.
Atambayev served as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism in the government from 20 December 2005 until he resigned on 21 April 2006.
In November 2006 he was one of the leaders of anti-government protests in Bishkek, under the umbrella of the movement 'For Reform!' (Çà Ðåôîðìû). He was also involved in earlier protests in late April 2006.
On 26 December 2006 Atambayev rejected calls from other lawmakers for a dissolution of the Supreme Council, saying, "It is impossible for this Parliament to be dissolved at least until May [2007], and it has to adopt all the laws. Otherwise there will be a war in Kyrgyzstan, because even if Parliament adopts the [proposed] authoritarian constitution, I will tell you openly, we will not accept it. It would be a constitution adopted illegally. Then we would take every [possible protest action]. We are ready for that."
Following the resignation of Prime Minister Azim Isabekov on 29 March 2007, Atambayev was appointed acting Prime Minister by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. He was then confirmed in parliament by a vote of 48-3 on 30 March. He is the first prime minister in Central Asia to come from an opposition party. On 11 April, he tried to address a large protest in Bishkek demanding Bakiyev's resignation, but was booed by the protesters.
Bakiyev announced the resignation of Atambayev's government on October 24, 2007, following a successful referendum. The government was to remain in office until after a parliamentary election in December.
Nonetheless, Atambayev resigned on 28 November 2007; Bakiyev accepted the resignation, while praising Atambayev for his performance in office, and appointed Acting First Deputy Prime Minister Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev in his place as Acting Prime Minister. Edil Baisalov of the Social Democratic Party claimed that Atambayev was forced out of office because he was an obstacle to alleged government interference in the parliamentary election.