Another Domino Falls

Kyrgyz Republic becomes the third former Soviet republic to see its opposition take control from entrenched leaders through peaceful protests, after Georgia and Ukraine, in just the past fifteen months.

OTB said Kyrgyz opposition leader Kurmanbek Bakiev pledged to hold new elections after protesters seized control of the main government headquarters. See also this post

Tarek @LiquidList blogged According to most reports, Akayev wasn't the worst leader in the central asian republics, an honor beloging to that nutjob Niyazov in Turkmenistan. Nevertheless, if this development leads to a more democratic system in place in Kyrgyzstan, all the better.

Daniel Drezner blogged Events in Kyrgyzstan (click here for a useful BBC backgrounder), combined with previous events in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Georgia, are making me wonder if maybe, just maybe, we're at the beginning of the fourth wave of democratization.

Betsy Newmark blogged How wonderful to see one more story of people using the weight of popular protest to overturn dishonest elections. And each story inspires another downtrodden people to act for their own freedoms. How far behind will Iran be?

Matthew Yglesias wants to disuade us of the thought that if this has a good outcome that it is another example of the Bush doctrine. (He must fear it will, and he can't stand the number of dominoes that are falling).