Melis Myrzakmatov

Who is Melis Myrzakmatov?

Melis Myrzakmatov was the mayor of Osh, Kyrgyzstan's second largest city, from 26 January 2009 until 5 December 2013. Myrzakmatov is known for being a radical nationalist leader and openly bearing an ethnic Kyrgyz-first policy.

When Myrzakmatov was the mayor of Osh, he largely ignored the capital Bishkek in his actions. This situation did not change even after the northerner Almazbek Atambayev was elected president in December 2011. Senior members of Atambayev's administration expressed "dismay at tensions in the south but say they have no way of influencing the situation there."

On 5 December 2013, the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Zhantoro Satybaldiyev issued a decree and dismissed Myrzakmatov from his post as mayor of Osh. Despite being dismissed, Myrzakmatov was allowed to take part in a new mayoral election that was held on January 15, 2014. He was defeated by pro-presidential candidate Aitmamat Kadyrbaev. Both Myrzakmatov's dismissal and his defeat in the election provoked mass protests by his supporters.