From Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
The leaders of Kyrgyzstan’s Green Party have been officially accused of damaging the “dignity and honor” of the country’s president.
Police say they found a number of caricatures in Green Party offices of President Kurmanbek Bakiev on January 13.
The Prosecutor-General found the caricatures to be damaging to the president’s honor and filed a lawsuit against the Green Party’s leadership.
The trial was to have started today, but the judge postponed it until January 28 due to the absence of the Green Party’s lawyers.
Green Party Chairman Erkin Bolokbaev told RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service that the lawsuit is politically motivated.
Posted to IPR by Paulie
Why doesn’t the LP of other countries ever cause controversy? That’s what is needed.
Wikipedia:
In March 2002, in the southern district of Aksy, five people protesting the arbitrary arrest of an opposition politician were shot dead by police, sparking nationwide protests. President Akayev initiated a constitutional reform process which initially included the participation of a broad range of government, civil, and social representatives in an open dialogue, leading to a February 2003 referendum marred by voting irregularities. The amendments to the constitution approved by the referendum resulted in stronger control by the president and weakened the parliament and the Constitutional Court. Parliamentary elections for a new, 75-seat unicameral legislature were held on February 27 and March 13, 2005, but were widely viewed as corrupt. The subsequent protests led to a bloodless coup on March 24, after which Akayev fled the country and was replaced by acting president Kurmanbek Bakiyev (see: Tulip Revolution).
Interim government leaders are developing a new governing structure for the country and working to resolve outstanding constitutional issues. On July 10, 2005, acting president Bakiyev won the presidential election in a landslide, with 88.9% of the vote, and was inaugurated on 14 August. However, initial public support for the new administration substantially declined in subsequent months as a result of its apparent inability to solve the corruption problems that have plagued the country since its independence from the Soviet Union, along with the murders of several members of parliament. Largescale protests against president Bakiyev took place in Bishkek in April and November 2006, with opposition leaders accusing the president of failing to live up to his election promises to reform the country’s constitution and transfer many of his presidential powers to parliament.
The United States has only promised to increase foreign aid to Kyrgyzstan in 2006 to $35 million, from the previously planned $30 million. Additionally, the United States has pledged two tranches of $5 million each to support anti-terrorism, anti-narcotics, and anti-corruption programs in Kyrgyzstan.
http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=30780
Very bad. Dignity and honors of Presidents should always be damaged. Even Obama, whom I support.