«Our friendship with Kamchybek Tashiev will continue,» President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov said in an interview with Kabar news agency.
He was responding to a question about the well-known fact that the head of state and Kamchybek Tashiev are known as «two friends», and whether the recent decisions mean that their friendship has come to an end.
«Our friendship will continue. When relieving Kamchybek Tashiev of his post, I contacted him, explained the situation, and only after that made the decision. As I have already said, my decision was made for the sake of peace and unity of our state and people. It is wrong to link our friendship to any position or to any interests,» Sadyr Japarov added.
He also explained in detail why he decided to dismiss him:
«First, in 2021, the majority entrusted me with the fate of the state and the entire people by electing me president. The Constitution places on me the duty to preserve the integrity of the state and the unity of the people and civil servants. I have strictly fulfilled this duty, because the interests of the state and the entire nation stand above positions and friendship.
It all began in the Zhogorku Kenesh. Certain parliamentary groups started calling deputies over and dividing them, asking: ‘Will you be on our side or that side?’ When some deputies asked, ‘Who is «our side» and who is «that side»?’ they were told and shown the following: ‘Our side is the general’s side,’ with shoulder boards demonstrated, while ‘that side is the president’s side.’ After that, the division spread to so-called aksakals in the streets.
They began collecting signatures for early elections, misleading people by saying that this had been ‘agreed at the very top’ and that the Zhogorku Kenesh was about to announce snap elections.
If I had not taken decisive steps in time, this could have spread to ordinary citizens, and the people themselves might have begun to split into two parts. I had information that members of Parliament and certain civil servants were being intimidated by references to the ‘general.’ They were told: ‘If you do not come over to our side, you will have to deal with the general.’
That is why I had to make this decision.»
