Askar Akayev Аскар Акаев
1st President of Kyrgyzstan
In office 27 October 1990 – 24 March 2005
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Personal details
Born	(1944-11-10) November 10, 1944 (age 67) Kyzyl-Bairak, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Kyrgyz
Political party	Non-partisan
Spouse(s)	Mayram Akayeva
Children	2 sons 2 daughters
Religion	Sunni Islam

Askar Akayevich Akayev (Аскар Акаевич Акаев) (born 10 November 1944 in Kyzyl-Bairak, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union) served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until his overthrow in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution.

As late as 1993 political analysts saw Akayev as a "prodemocratic physicist."^[1]

Education and early career[link]

Akayev was the youngest of five sons born into a family of collective farm workers, in the town of Kemin, 95 km east of Bishkek. He became a metalworker at a local factory in 1961. He subsequently moved to Leningrad, where he trained as a physicist and graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics in 1967 with an honors degree in mathematics, engineering and computer science. He stayed at the institute until 1976, working as a senior researcher and teacher. In Leningrad he met and in 1970 married Mayram Akayeva with whom he now has two sons and two daughters. They returned to their native Kyrgyzstan in 1977, where he became a senior professor at the Frunze Polytechnic Institute. Some of his later cabinet members were former students and friends from his academic career.

He obtained a doctorate in 1981 from the Moscow Institute of Engineering and Physics, having written his dissertation on holographic systems of storage and transformation of information. In 1984, he became a member of the Kirghiz Academy of Sciences, rose to vice president of the Academy in 1987 and then president of the Academy in 1989. He was elected as a deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in the same year.

Political career[link]

On 25 October 1990, the Kirghiz SSR's Supreme Soviet held elections for the newly created post of president of the republic. Two candidates contested the presidency, President of Council of Ministers of Kirghiz SSR, Apas Jumagulov and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kirghiz SSR, Absamat Masaliyev. However, neither Jumagulov nor Masaliyev received a majority of the votes cast. In accordance with the Kirghiz SSR's constitution of 1978, both candidates were disqualified and neither could run in the second round of voting.

Two days later, on October 27, the Supreme Soviet selected Akayev - who was effectively a compromise candidate - to serve as the republic's first president. In 1991, he was offered the post of vice-president of the Soviet Union by President Mikhail Gorbachev, but refused. Akayev was elected president of the renamed republic of Kyrgyzstan in an uncontested poll on 12 October 1991. He was reelected twice, amid allegations of ballot rigging, on 24 December 1995 and 29 October 2000.

Akayev was initially seen as a liberal leader. He commented in a 1991 interview that "Although I am a Communist, my basic attitude toward private property is favorable. I believe that the revolution in the sphere of economics was not made by Karl Marx but by Adam Smith." ("Akayev: 'All of a Sudden I Become President'", Christian Science Monitor, 10 January 1991) He actively promoted the privatization of land and other economic assets and operated a relatively liberal regime compared with the governments of the other Central Asian nations. He was granted lifelong immunity from prosecution by the Lower House of Parliament in 2003.

Protests[link]

The first wave of demonstrations took place in mid-March 2002. Azimbek Beknazarov, a member of parliament accused of abuse of power, was due to attend trial taking place in Jalal-Abad. Over 2,000 demonstrators marched on the town where the proceedings were to take place. According to eye-witnesses, police ordered the demonstrators to stop and gave them fifteen minutes to disperse, yet opened fire before this time elapsed. Five men were shot dead; another was killed on the next day. 61 people were injured, including 47 police and 14 civilians.

Riot police clashed with protesters in Bishkek in May during demonstrations in support of Beknazarov. Police in the capital's Parliament square kicked protesters and dragged people away to break up the 200-strong crowd. They made several demands including the resignation of Akayev. This was again repeated in November of the same year when scores were arrested as the opposition marched on the capital. Protests continued, albeit on a smaller scale, at various points over the next few years.

2005 Election controversy[link]

Akayev had promised to step down from office when his final term expired in 2005, but the possibility of a dynastical succession had been raised. His son Aidar Akayev and his daughter Bermet Akayeva were candidates in the 2005 legislative election, and it was widely suspected that he was going to retain either de facto power by arranging for the election of a close supporter or relative, or perhaps even by abrogation of the term limit provision in the constitution and remaining in power personally, an allegation which he strongly denied.

The results of the elections were disputed, with allegations of vote-rigging. Two of Akayev's children won seats. Serious protests broke out in Osh and Jalal-Abad, with protesters occupying administration buildings and the Osh airport. The government declared that it was ready to negotiate with the demonstrators. However an opposition leader said talks would only be worthwhile if the President himself took part.

Akayev refused to resign, but pledged not to use force to end the protests, which he attributed to foreign interests seeking to provoke a large-scale clamp-down in response.

On 23 March Akayev announced the dismissal of Interior Minister Bakirdin Subanbekov and General Prosecutor Myktybek Abdyldayev for "poor work" in dealing with the growing protests.

Downfall[link]

On 24 March 2005 protesters stormed the presidential compound in Bishkek and seized control of the seat of state power after clashing with riot police during a large opposition rally. Opposition supporters also seized control of key cities and towns in the south to press demands that Akayev step down.

That day, Akayev fled the country with his family, reportedly escaping first to Kazakhstan and then to Russia. Russian president Vladimir Putin invited Akayev to stay in Russia. There were early reports that he had tendered his resignation to opposition leaders before his departure. However, his formal resignation did not come until 4 April, when a delegation of members of parliament from Kyrgyzstan met him in Russia.

The Kyrgyz Parliament accepted the resignation on 11 April 2005, after stripping him and his family members of special privileges that had been granted to him by the previous parliament. He was also formally stripped of the title of "first president of Kyrgyzstan".

Current Position and Activities[link]

He now works as Professor and Senior Researcher of Prigogine Institute for Mathematical Investigations of Complex Systems at Moscow State University [1]. Together with Andrey Korotayev and George Malinetsky he is a coordinator of the Russian Academy of Sciences Program "System Analysis and Mathematical Modeling of World Dynamics" [2].

Honours[link]

Foreign honours[link]

•  Slovakia : Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross (2003)^[2]

Publications[link]

• Когерентные оптические вычислительные машины (в соавт., Ленинград, 1977),
• Оптические методы обработки информации (в соавт., М., 1983);
• Holographic Memory. New York, NY: Allerton Press, 1997;
• Избранные лекции по оптическим компьютерам, Бишкек, 1996;
• Рельефография, Бишкек, 1996.
• Переходная экономика глазами физика (математическая модель переходной экономики). Бишкек: Учкун, 2000;
• Думая о будущем с оптимизмом: Размышления о внешней политике и мироустройстве. М.: Международные отношения, 2004.
• Современный финансово-экономический кризис в свете теории инновационно-технологического развития экономики и управления инновационным процессом // Системный мониторинг. Глобальное и региональное развитие. М.: Editorial URSS, 2009. ISBN 978-5-397-00917-1. С. 141—162.
• О новой методологии долгосрочного циклического прогнозирования динамики развития мировой системы и России // Прогноз и моделирование кризисов и мировой динамики. — М.: ЛИБРОКОМ, 2009. С. 5-69.
• Log-Periodic Oscillation Analysis Forecasts the Burst of the «Gold Bubble» // Structure and Dynamics 4/3 (2010): 1-11 (with Alexey Fomin, Sergey Tsirel, and Andrey Korotayev).
• Моделирование и прогнозирование мировой динамики. М.: ИСПИ РАН, 2012. ISBN 978-5-7556-0456-7
• On the dynamics of the world demographic transition and financial-economic crises forecasts // The European Physical Journal 205, 355-373 (2012) (with Viktor Sadovnichy & Andrey Korotayev).

See also[link]

• Politics of Kyrgyzstan

References[link]

External links[link]

• Biography by CIDOB Foundation
• "Kyrgyz leader formally resigns" (SBS World News, 2005-04-05)
• Askar Akayev's research group predicts the burst of the “Gold Bubble” in April – June 2011

v t e Leaders of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz SSR Maksim Ammosov Aleksey Vagov Nikolay Bogolyubov Iskhak Razzakov Turdakun Usubaliyev Absamat Masaliyev Jumgalbek Amanbayev Kyrgyzstan Askar Akayev Kurmanbek Bakiyev Roza Otunbayeva Almazbek Atambayev

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2006)

Ilham Aliyev
4th President of Azerbaijan
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 October 2003
Prime Minister	Artur Rasizade
Preceded by	Heydar Aliyev
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan
In office 4 August 2003 – 4 November 2003
President	Heydar Aliyev
Preceded by	Artur Rasizade
Succeeded by	Artur Rasizade
Personal details
Born	(1961-12-24) 24 December 1961 (age 50) Baku, Soviet Union (now Azerbaijan)
Political party	New Azerbaijan Party
Spouse(s)	Mehriban Pashayeva
Alma mater	Moscow State Institute of International Relations
Religion	Shia Islam

Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev (Azerbaijani: İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, born 24 December 1961, Baku) is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee. Apart from his native Azerbaijani, he speaks Turkish, English, French and Russian. Ilham Aliyev is the son of Heydar Aliyev, who was Azerbaijan's president from 1993-2003.

Early life[link]

In 1977 Aliyev entered the Moscow State University of International Relations (MSUIR) and in 1982 continued his education as a postgraduate.^[1] In 1985 he received a PhD degree in history.^[1] From 1985-1990 Aliyev lectured at MSUIR.^[1]

Political career[link]

Early years[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2012)

In May 1994, Ilham Aliyev was appointed vice-president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). He participated as one of the key figures during the negotiations between Azerbaijani government and Western oil companies during the conclusion of new contracts now known as Contract of the century. The following year Aliyev was elected to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan and later became president of the National Olympic Committee (still incumbent) and head of the Azerbaijan delegation to the Council of Europe. In August 2003, two months prior to the presidential elections, he was appointed prime minister. In October, Heydar Aliyev, suffering failing health, stepped down as president and in a controversial move, appointed his son, an independent candidate, as his party's sole presidential candidate.

2003 presidential elections[link]

The official results of the October 15, 2003, elections gave victory to Ilham Aliyev, who earned 76.84% of the votes. However, the domestic opposition refused to accept the results and staged mass protests. The protests were due to alleged corruption and staging of elections.

The elections received harsh criticism from the international community, with many observers noting that they fell short of international standards and were accompanied by voter intimidation, unequal campaign opportunities for the candidates, and widespread violations of the electoral laws and process. The OSCE International Election Observation Mission noted a number of irregularities in the counting and tabulation.^[2] Human Rights Watch complained that Aliyev's election campaign had been supported by government resources and that the Central Election Commission and local election commissions had been stacked with its supporters, while local non-governmental organizations had been banned from monitoring the vote.^[3]

Presidency[link]

Participants of the second Caspian Summit. From left to right: Ilham Aliev, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, October 2007

Opposition members and human rights activists complain that during Aliyev's presidency the human rights situation has not improved. Opposition mass meetings remained banned or were allowed to be held in remote parts of Baku, thus aiming at demoralizing and making it difficult for supporters of opposition to reach there, and the government has continued to pressure the opposition and independent press. In March 2005 under continued pressure from the international community, especially the Council of Europe, Aliyev released from prison many prominent members of the opposition, arrested during protests against the way the October 2003 election was conducted.

For his human rights violations and uncontested rule over Azerbaijan, Aliyev is considered a dictator by many experts on the Caucasus and the former USSR.^[4][5][6] In 2010, WikiLeaks uncovered a diplomatic cable dispatched by the US Embassy in the Republic of Azerbaijan, part of the cache of documents obtained by the WikiLeaks website, that explicitly compared Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to a mafia crime boss, leaving many to wonder if his government was actually democratic and whether people truthfully believed that Azerbaijan does not repress minority populations.^[7] A number of groups have also complained to the Commission on Human Rights for the purpose of adopting a resolution, which urges Azerbaijan to guarantee the preservation of the cultural, religious and national identity of the Talysh people in light of repeated claims of repression.^[8]

Aliyev with the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, 3 July 2008

On March 26, 2005, Aliyev was officially elected as the ruling New Azerbaijan Party chairman. The opposition denounced this as a violation of state laws, because according to the law on political parties, the president should have no party affiliation.

In April 2006, President Aliyev made a state visit to Washington, D.C. It was a remarkably successful trip, at least in terms of image. Speaking at a public forum sponsored by the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, Aliyev discussed oil, economic development, and democracy with an audience of reporters and others. The visit was capped with a private meeting in the White House with President George W. Bush, who told reporters that their discussion was "really interesting", although he also said the meeting was "candid" - sometimes a code word for "tense". Opposition groups said that an official meeting with President Bush sent an inappropriate signal that the violence and intimidation of the 2005 parliamentary election was now a closed matter.^[9]

In 2008, Aliyev declared that “Nagorno Karabakh will never be independent; the position is backed by international mediators as well; Armenia has to accept the reality” and that “in 1918, Yerevan was granted to the Armenians. It was a great mistake. The khanate of Iravan was the Azeri territory, the Armenians were guests there."^[10]

Ilham Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 with 87% of the polls, while opposition parties boycotted the elections. In a constitutional referendum in 2009, term limits for the presidency were abolished and freedom of the press was restricted.

The 2010 parliamentary elections produced a Parliament completely loyal to Aliyev: for the first time in Azerbaijani history, not a single candidate from the main opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front or Musavat parties was elected. The Economist subsequently scored Azerbaijan as an authoritarian regime, at the 135° place on 167, in its 2010 Democracy Index.

Repeated protests were staged against Aliyev's rule in 2011, calling for democratic reforms and the ouster of the government. Aliyev has responded by ordering a security crackdown, using force to crush attempts at revolt in Baku. Officials loyal to the president have dismissed protesters' comparison of Azerbaijan to other countries considered to be part of the same revolutionary wave that has rocked North Africa and Western Asia since December 2010, and Aliyev has rejected the precedent set by leaders in Armenia, Oman, Jordan, and other affected states by refusing to make concessions. Well over 400 Azerbaijanis have been arrested since protests began in March 2011.^[11] Opposition leaders, including Musavat's Isa Gambar, have vowed to continue demonstrating, although police have encountered little difficulty in stopping protests almost as soon as they begin.^[12]

Personal life[link]

Ilham Aliyev is married to Mehriban Aliyeva and has three children: Leyla, Arzu and Heydar. He also has an older sister, Seville Aliyeva.

Honors[link]

Ilham Aliyev with insignia of the Order of Merit during a visit to Poland

Ilham Aliyev's major honors include:

• Order of Honor (2003)^[13]
• Order of the Star of Romania (2004, awarded by Ion Iliescu)^[14]
• Heydar Aliyev Order^[14]
• Order of Abdulaziz al Saud (2005, awarded by Fahd of Saudi Arabia)^[14]
• Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur (2007, awarded by French Ambassador in Baku Bernard Chaffin)^[15]
• Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2008, awarded by Lech Kaczyński)^[16]
• Order of Yaroslav the Wise 1st degree (2008, awarded by Viktor Yushchenko)^[17]
• Medal For Distinction in Protection of CIS State Borders and Badge for Strengthening of Border Cooperation (2008)^[18]
• Gold Medal of the Greek Parliament (2009)^[19]
• Order of Glory and Honor 1st degree (Орден Славы и Чести; 2010, conferred by Kirill I of Moscow)^[20]
• Order of Sheikhulislam (Azerbaijan)^[14]
• The Order of St. Sergius I degree (Орден Преподобного Сергия Радонежского I степени (РПЦ))^[14]
• Order of Glory «Great Cordon» (International Military Sport Council)^[14]
• Order of Glory of the International Confederation of Sport Organizations of CIS countries^[14]
• Supreme Order of the Hall of Fame FILA "Legend of Sport";^[14]
• The Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, I degree (Орден святого благоверного князя Даниила Московского I степени)^[21]
• Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer (2009, Kuwait)^[22]
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Three Stars (Latvia)^[23]
• Юбилейная медаль «10 лет Астане»
• Премия Ихсана Дограмачи за мир и международные отношения (Turkey)^[14]
• Лауреат «Гран-при» премии "Персона года 2009" (Russia)^[24]
• Лауреат премии "Друг журналистов"^[25]
• “Man of the Year” by «Balcanii şi Europa» magazine (Romania)^[26][27]
• Honorary Professor of the Turkmenistan State University named after Makhtumkuli (Turkmenistan).^[28]
• Honorary Professor of the Belarusian State University^[29]
• Honorary Professor of Moscow State University (2008)^[30]
• Honorary Professor of L.N.Gumilev Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan)^[14]
• Honorary Professor of University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of Lincoln University (USA)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of the Moscow State University of International Relations^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of Bilkent University (Turkey)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of National Academy for Taxes (Ukraine)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of Petroleum and Gas University of Ploesti (Romania)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of Kyung Hee University (South Korea)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of Jordan University (Jordan)^[14]
• Honorary Doctor of Social Sciences of the Corvinus University (Hungary)^[28]
• Honorary Doctor of the Kiev National University named after Taras Shevchenko (Ukraine)^[28]

On 21 November 2009, Aliyev was also included in a 500 Most Influential Muslims of World book.^[31][32]

In popular culture[link]

Aliyev's photo is shown in the final frames of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan implying misleadingly that he is the president of Borat's fictionalised Kazakhstan.^[33]

See also[link]

	Azerbaijan portal
	Biography portal
	Politics portal

• Politics of Azerbaijan
• Presidential Administration

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Azerbaijan president website
• Official YouTube channel of the President of Azerbaijan
• BBC profile: Ilham Aliyev
• Political portrait of Ilham Aliyev
• Speeches, statements, interviews, declarations of the Azerbaijan Republic President Ilham Aliyev
• Ilham Aliyev and oil diplomacy of Azerbaijan

v t e Leaders of Azerbaijan since 1918 Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Mammad Amin Rasulzade · Alimardan Topchubashov · Mammad Yusif Jafarova Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Mirza Davud Huseynov · Grigory Kaminsky · Sergey Kirov · Levon Mirzoyan · Nikolay Gikalo · Vladimir Polonsky · Mir Jafar Baghirov · Mir Teymur Yaqubov · Imam Mustafayev · Vali Akhundov · Heydar Aliyev · Kamran Baghirov · Abdurrahman Vazirov · Ayaz Mütallibov Republic of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mütallibov · Yaqub Mammadova · Ayaz Mütallibov · Isa Gambara · Abulfaz Elchibey · Heydar Aliyev · Ilham Aliyev (a) Denotes acting

v t e Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Fatali Khan Khoyski · Nasib Yusifbeyli Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Mirza Davud Huseynov  · Nariman Narimanov  · Gazanfar Musabekov  · Dadash Buniyatzade  · Mir Jafar Baghirov  · Huseyn Rahmanov  · Teymur Guliyev  · Mir Jafar Baghirov  · Teymur Guliyev  · Sadykh Rahimov  · Vali Akhundov  · Mammad Isgandarov  · Anvar Alikhanov  · Ali Ibrahimov  · Hasan Seyidov  · Ayaz Mütallibov  · Hasan Hasanov Republic of Azerbaijan Hasan Hasanov  · Firuz Mustafayev *  · Rahim Huseynov  · Ali Masimov  · Panah Huseynov  · Surat Huseynov  · Fuad Guliyev  · Artur Rasizade  · Ilham Aliyev  · Artur Rasizade Denotes acting

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