Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 21 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova /
Almazbek Atambayev, leader of the Social Democratic Party, is likely to face a challenging time as the head of the Kyrgyz government, Bruce Pannier, U.S. expert on Central Asia, said.
"My own personal view is that Atambayev is going to have a very difficult time," Bruce Pannier, expert of Svoboda radio, told Trend via e-mail.
On Monday, the Atambayev-led new government took charge in Kyrgyzstan, with the cabinet including senior officials who used to work with the ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev. After changing the system of governance from presidential to parliamentary, the parliament, headed by Atambayev, will play a dominant role in governing the country.
Rosa Otunbayeva, president for the transitional period, transferred her powers to the new government.
"A new stage begins in the country. I stop my powers as Prime Minister," she said.
The new government was formed by the ruling coalition including the Republic party, the Social Democratic Party and the Ata-Jurt (Fatherland).
"Almazbek Atambayev seems to be a compromise figure since it is unlikely the Ata-Jurt Party would have chosen him as their first pick. I sense the Respublika Party pushed his candidacy in order to form a coalition," Pannier said.
Not only are there many important issues that must be addressed quickly but Atambayev has an interesting recent history that could work against him in the end, he said, adding that Atambayev had been in the opposition as well as in the government, going back and forth for the last three years, not showing much initiative.
Atambayev's popularity seems to have improved since Bakiyev was ousted from office but a few serious problems in Kyrgyzstan remind people of his time as prime minister and the strange decision to pull out of the presidential election on Election Day, the expert said.
"A suspicious mind, and I'm not saying I have a suspicious mind, could consider that Respublika and Ata-Jurt are setting Atambayev up for a fall," Pannier further said.
The socioeconomic situation in Kyrgyzstan was not likely to improve quickly and if the people started to protest due to dissatisfaction, the target of their anger would be Atambayev, not Respublika or Ata-Jurt, said Pannier, adding that in order to placate the masses Atambayev could be dismissed and replaced, possibly with someone from Respublika or Ata-Jurt, he said.