The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn't reached the quiet village of Tash-Bashat in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country's feuding elites with resignation and disdain.
Kanat Kaliyev, a 57-year-old farmer, and his family said they have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt.
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The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn't reached the quiet village of Tash-Bashat in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country's feuding elites with resignation and disdain.
Kaliyev and other villagers cautiously welcome Sadyr Zhaparov, who became the country's caretaker leader after President Sooronbai Jeenbekov was forced to step down under pressure from protesters following the disputed Oct. 4 parliamentary election.
Zhaparov’s supporters, who forced the president's resignation, were bused to the capital from his home region of Issyk-Kul. Residents of Tash-Bashat, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of the capital, didn’t take part in the turmoil.
“They collect taxes, but they do nothing. The government isn’t paying any attention to the citizens' needs,” said Kaliyev, adding that authorities haven't fulfilled their longtime promises to pave a road leading to the village.
Kanat Kaliyev's son Adilet's daughters Aibike, right, and Aima play at the family house in Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Political turmoil has gripped Kyrgyzstan over recent years, but life in this quiet village nestled between scenic mountains follows its centuries-old course.(AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Burul, wife of Kanat Kaliyev's son Adilet, hangs up the laundry to dry at a yard of their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Political turmoil has gripped Kyrgyzstan over recent years, but life in this quiet village nestled between scenic mountains follows its centuries-old course. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zarina, wife of Azret Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, kindles a fire in the hearth for cooking at the family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt.(AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Adilet Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, takes a cow into a farm near their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zarina, wife of Azret Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, milks a cow at a farm near their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zarina, wife of Azret Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, pours milk into a can at a farm near their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn’t reached this quiet village in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country’s feuding elites with resignation and disdain. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Kanat Kaliyev and his grandchildren Aruke, right, and Baisal talk with their relatives on Skype at their family house in the village of Tash-Bashat about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn’t reached this quiet village in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country’s feuding elites with resignation and disdain. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Adilet Kaliyev sits while his wife Burul, center, serves a lunch for him before his heading to the mountains to drive a flock of sheeps at their family house in Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Zarina, wife of his brother Azret Kaliyev in on the left. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
A boy sits next to cows for sale at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Villagers talk to each other as they come to buy fowl at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
A Kyrgyz boy looks sad at a goat for sale at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Young horse riders compete for the goat during a kok boru, also called ulak tartysh a traditional game in which players on horseback maneuver with a goat's carcass and score by putting it into the opponents' goal outside Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn’t reached this quiet village in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country’s feuding elites with resignation and disdain.(AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Sellers and buyers of sheeps talk to each other at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
“Let them steal, but they at least must do something for the people,” said Kaliyev’s 27-year-old son, Azret. “But no, they try to steal it all.”
Kanat Kaliyev's daughter Malika plays with her phone lying on a swing near their family house in the village of Tash-Bashat about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Kaliyev and other villagers cautiously welcome Sadyr Zhaparov, who became the country's caretaker leader after President Sooronbai Jeenbekov was forced to step down under pressure from protesters following the disputed Oct. 4 parliamentary election.
The developments marked the third time in 15 years that a leader of this Central Asian country on the border with China has been forced out by a popular uprising. Just like the uprisings that ousted presidents in 2005 and 2010, the latest turmoil was driven by clan rivalries that dominate politics in Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge after the 1991 Soviet collapse.
The constitution bars Zhaparov, as the acting head of state, from running for president in an early vote set for January, but he said he would renounce his duties beginning next month in order to join the race.
A shepherd drives a herd of horses to pasture outside Archaly village, about 10 kilometers (6,2 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zhaparov’s supporters, who forced the president's resignation, were bused to the capital from his home region of Issyk-Kul. Residents of Tash-Bashat, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of the capital, didn’t take part in the turmoil.
Kaliyev said that he and other villagers would support Zhaparov as the nation’s new leader, but warned that he would be forced out too if he becomes mired in corruption like his predecessors.
Like other Tash-Bashat residents, the Kaliyev family raises sheep and cattle. They complain bitterly about the lack of state support and authorities’ failure to repair crumbling infrastructure.
Kanat Kaliyev's son Adilet, 30, rides a hors on his way home from the pasture near Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Political turmoil has gripped Kyrgyzstan over recent years, but life in this quiet village nestled between scenic mountains follows its centuries-old course. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
“They collect taxes, but they do nothing. The government isn’t paying any attention to the citizens' needs,” said Kaliyev, adding that authorities haven't fulfilled their longtime promises to pave a road leading to the village.
Life follows its centuries-old course in the village nestled between the scenic mountains, with residents herding sheep and cows in the mountains, producing milk and milk products and taking their goods to local markets for sale.
In their free time, local men love to play Kok Boru, a traditional game in which players on horseback maneuver with a goat's carcass and score by putting it into the opponents' goal.
Adilet Kaliyev, Kanat Kaliyev's son feeds donkeys at a farm near his family house in Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Kanat Kaliyev's son Adilet's daughters Aibike, right, and Aima play at the family house in Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Political turmoil has gripped Kyrgyzstan over recent years, but life in this quiet village nestled between scenic mountains follows its centuries-old course.(AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Burul, wife of Kanat Kaliyev's son Adilet, hangs up the laundry to dry at a yard of their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Political turmoil has gripped Kyrgyzstan over recent years, but life in this quiet village nestled between scenic mountains follows its centuries-old course. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zarina, wife of Azret Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, kindles a fire in the hearth for cooking at the family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt.(AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Adilet Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, takes a cow into a farm near their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zarina, wife of Azret Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, milks a cow at a farm near their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Zarina, wife of Azret Kaliyev, son of Kanat Kaliyev, pours milk into a can at a farm near their family house in Tash Bashat village about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn’t reached this quiet village in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country’s feuding elites with resignation and disdain. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Kanat Kaliyev and his grandchildren Aruke, right, and Baisal talk with their relatives on Skype at their family house in the village of Tash-Bashat about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn’t reached this quiet village in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country’s feuding elites with resignation and disdain. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Adilet Kaliyev sits while his wife Burul, center, serves a lunch for him before his heading to the mountains to drive a flock of sheeps at their family house in Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Zarina, wife of his brother Azret Kaliyev in on the left. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
A boy sits next to cows for sale at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Villagers talk to each other as they come to buy fowl at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, saw its president forced out by protesters earlier this month, but the political turmoil hasn't touched that village nestled in the scenic Ala-Too mountains where life follows centuries-old rites. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
A Kyrgyz boy looks sad at a goat for sale at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Young horse riders compete for the goat during a kok boru, also called ulak tartysh a traditional game in which players on horseback maneuver with a goat's carcass and score by putting it into the opponents' goal outside Tash Bashat village, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. The political turmoil that has gripped Kyrgyzstan hasn’t reached this quiet village in the mountains near the capital, where residents talk about the country’s feuding elites with resignation and disdain.(AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)
Sellers and buyers of sheeps talk to each other at the Moscow market in Belovodskoye village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries to emerge from the former Soviet Union, where political turmoil has prompted many people to have little respect for authorities, whom they see as deeply corrupt. (AP PhotoVladimir Voronin)