Tulip Revolution

The Tulip Revolution refers to the overthrow of President Askar Akayev and his government in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan after the parliamentary elections of February 27 and of March 13 2005. The revolution sought the end of rule by Akayev and by his family and associates, who in popular opinion had become increasingly corrupt and authoritarian. Following the revolution, Akayev fled the country. On April 4 he signed his resignation statement in the presence of a Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation in his country's embassy in Moscow, and on April 11 the Kyrgyz Parliament ratified his resignation.

Related Topics:
Askar Akayev - Central Asian - Kyrgyzstan - Parliamentary elections - February 27 - March 13 - 2005 - April 4 - April 11

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In the early stages of the revolution, the media variously referred to the unrest as the "Pink," "Lemon", "Silk", "Daffodil", "Sandpaper", or "Tulip" Revolution. But over time, most of the media began to call the revolution the Tulip Revolution. Such a term evoked similarities with the mostly non-violent Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, and possibly referenced the Velvet Revolution. The Tulip Revolution, however, saw some violence in its initial days, most notably in the southern city of Jalal-Abad, where the first major signs of violence were noted, and at least three people died during widespread looting in the capital in the first 24 hours after the fall of the Kyrgyz government.

Related Topics:
Rose Revolution - Georgia - Orange Revolution - Ukraine - 2004 - Velvet Revolution - Jalal-Abad

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