Bakyt Beshimov (; born 1954) is a leader of parliamentary fractionA Sinking ‘Island of Democracy’, Transitions Online, by Ben Judah, 26 August 2009 and deputy chairman of Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.In Reversal, Kyrgyzstan Won’t Close a U.S. BaseNew York Times, June 23, 2009. Bakyt Beshimov is a prominent opposition leader, famous for his liberal views, and speaking out against Kurmanbek Bakiyev'sBakyt Beshimov:"Manas airbase extension can be analyzed by US-Russian relations" The Young Turks, May 31, 2009.Kyrgyz opposition leader:"They are not just building a new Khanate, but a Kyrgyz version of the GULAG" Agora Vox, April 22, 2009 and Askar Akayev's regimes.Critic of Kyrgyzstan Leader Is Believed Dead in a Suspicious Car Crash New York Times, March 13, 2009.Opposition Cries Fraud in Kyrgyzstan VoteCBS News, July 25, 2009.
Early life Bakyt Beshimov grew up in the south of Kyrgyzstan, spending most of his childhood in Osh. Graduating from the Lomonosov School, he attended Kyrgyz State National University where he earned a PhD in history in 1977.AUCA Profile
Bakyt Beshimov was born into a family of teachers. His father was a professor at Osh State University. In fact, Bakyt Beshimov converted Osh State University into a full-fledged university from its prior status as a regional pedagogical institute
Personal life Bakyt Beshimov is married with two children. His both sons attended Harvard University. His son, Erdin Beshimov, is an educator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Bakyt Beshimov lives in the Boston area.
Academic career Beshimov started his career on the faculty as professor at Kyrgyz State National University. In 1991 he was appointed as the president of Osh State University, becoming the youngest president of a university in Kyrgyzstan. From 2006 to 2008 Beshimov served as a vice-president and provost of American University of Central Asia.Bakyt Beshimov: "Opposition will become stronger, if it gets rid of hitchhikers and develops its ideology." Institute for Public Policy
Beshimov also served as a national coordinator of UNDP "Life" Program, national manager of the UN Ferghana Valley Project, and regional expert at the Aga Khan Foundation.
Presently, Beshimov is a visiting scholarKyrgyzstan: CIS Assesses the Crisis , June 15, 2010.Beshimov's MIT site at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for International Studiesweb.mit.edu/cis and Harvard University's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.Aiding scholars at risk, Harvard Gazette, By Corydon Ireland, October 25, 2010 Beshimov is also a visiting professor at Suffolk University. In addition to appointments at MIT, Harvard and Suffolk, Beshimov is Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University in the Global Studies & International Relations program offered by the College of Professional Studies.
In 2019 Northeastern University awarded Beshimov Excellence in Teaching Award.
Bakyt Beshimov continues to be outspoken on world events.
Political career
While serving as president of Osh State University, Beshimov became increasingly outspoken in his criticism towards then president Askar Akayev. Effective reforms of Osh State University gained him large popularity among the students. Students therefore protested, when Beshimov's political activity caused him to be fired. That same year Beshimov ran for a newly opened parliamentary spot from a district in Osh, and won a landslide victory. Beshimov became a prominent opposition leader. There were numerous attempts to assassinate and throw him in jail by the Akayev regime. Beshimov played a major role in negotiations with Askar Akayev on succeeding certain roles to the opposition. Under the agreement reached in the year 2000, Beshimov was appointed as Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to India with concurrent accreditation to Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Following the Tulip Revolution Beshimov returned to Kyrgyzstan to serve as vice-president of American University of Central Asia. Beshimov was a big supporter of and believer in the Tulip Revolution. After the new government followed short of promises made during the Tulip Revolution, and started reverting the course back to dictatorial rule, Beshimov re-engaged in politics, going into opposition against Kurmanbek Bakiyev.Bakyt Beshimov: Kyrgyzstan needs to move forward, that is the way out of crisis "www.24.kg", December 19, 2006. In December 2007 he was elected to Kyrgyzstan's Parliament, the Supreme Council, on the candidate list of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan. He is the leader of the opposition fraction in the Kyrgyz Parliament.
Beshimov pushed forward policies to prevent other Shanghai Cooperation Organisation members from interfering with Kyrgyzstan's domestic issues. This angered some of Bakiev's own advisers.
Beshimov was one of the first politicians in Kyrgyzstan to use the web for engaging in conversation with the youth.Tweeting Their Way Through Election Campaigns, "Jamestown Foundation Blog", by Erica Marat.
In the lead up to the 2010 Parliamentary elections Beshimov criticized the government for planning to close universities for the duration of the election,KYRGYZSTAN: Universities to stay closed during poll, University World News, by Yojana Sharma, 30 September 2010 arguing that education is not a high priority for the government. Kyrgyz universities to remain closed during elections , Central Asia Newswire, October 01, 2010
In 2009 Beshimov was granted political asylum in the US after surviving several assassination attempts due to him being a leader of the opposition.
Manas air base Bakyt Beshimov came under intense pressure for actively opposing the Kyrgyz government's initial decision to close a US air base, now the Transit Center at Manas.Kyrgyz legislators approve closure of U.S. air base New York Times, November 9, 2009. He was the only MP to vote for keeping the base open.Afghanistan: US War Effort Experiences A Beginning And A Likely End, Eurasia Insight, February 19, 2009 Arguing for the importance of a US air base to the security in Central Asia created further divide between Beshimov and the "pro-Russian" government of Bakiyev. Kyrgyzstan bargains with U.S., Russia on airbase - MP, Reuters, February 13, 2009
2009 Kyrgyzstan presidential election Beshimov was the campaign manager for the unified opposition candidate during the July 2009 presidential elections,Strategic Issues, Not Abuses, Are U.S. Focus in Kyrgyzstan New York Times, July 22, 2009 which western observers deemed "fraudulent". Beshimov said that exit polls by opposition supporters showed Almazbek Atambayev won around 60 percent of the vote. Eventually, he was placed under state surveillance during the Bakiyev regime with intention to kill him.
Beshimov recently spoke against Bakiyev's appointment of his own son as head the Central Agency for Development, Investment, and Innovation. For his views several assassination plots have been made on Beshimov, allegedly organized by Bakiyev.Opposition leader Beshimov accuses Kyrgyz President in assassination plot Ryskeldi Satke, The Young Turks, November 22, 2009
In 2009 Beshimov filed a suit with the Constitutional Court of Kyrgyzstan against Bakiyev. The basis for the suit was the claim that Bakiyev broke the law by being an active member of the Ak Jol political party, Interview with Bakyt Beshimov outside the Constitutional Court of Kyrgyzstan. The Court rejected the claim., Interview with Beshimov after the court ruling.
Several assassination attempts before the election, and escalation of threats after the election, forced Beshimov to leave Kyrgyzstan.The hard way, by Elizabeth Gehrman, Harvard Gazette, December 3, 2010
2010 revolution and Kyrgyz-Uzbek conflict After the April 7 revolution in Kyrgyzstan, Beshimov was offered the position of ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the United States, which he turned down.Kyrgyzstan: Bakyt Beshimov refused an appointment of ambassador in USA, Ferghana.ru, May 03, 2010
Beshimov actively advocated that the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes were provoked from outside Kyrgyzstan.KYRGYZSTAN: University politicisation to continue, by Yojana Sharma, 04 July 2010 Did external forces spark Kyrgyzstan violence?, by Sam Kahn, Global Post, June 16, 2010 He testified before Helsinki CommissionHEARING OF THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY & COOPERATION IN EUROPE, JULY 27, 2010 on 27 July 2010 with this view.
References
External links Beshimov's blog Bakyt Beshimov's X account Beshimov Facebook Fan page Brochure for talk held at Johns Hopkins CACI, where Beshimov gave a speech Web-exclusive interview with Bakyt Beshimov
Center for International Studies assesses the crisis in Kyrgyzstan - Video lecture by Carol Saivetz and Bakyt Beshimov. Kyrgyzstan's Hopes, and Fears, Wall Street Journal, October 4, 2010. Kyrgyz Democracy’s Narrowing Window of Opportunity, Transition Online, by Bakyt Beshimov, 8 October 2010. Kyrgyzstan: Days of violence. Al Jazeera, 15 June 2010.