The new unicameral parliament in effect since the dissolution of the upper house has renounced the election date set by the previous parliament for June 26. A new date hasn’t been announced as the legislature is busy discussing what to do now that Akayev has resigned.

Kyrgyzstan????????s unicameral parliament has repealed a resolution adopted by the former bicameral legislature that set June 26 as the date for the country????????s special presidential election. A new election date will be set only after legislators review the issue of former President Askar Akayev????????s resignation.

Parliament on April 7 postponed debate on Akayev????????s resignation for a third straight day. Akayev submitted his resignation on April 4 in Moscow. ÄFor background see the Eurasia Insight archiveÅ. Some lawmakers want to remove Akayev via impeachment, rather than permitting him to resign.

In a video-recorded message viewed by MPs, Akayev predicted that history will be kind to his administration, insisting that his policies were “guided by my human and civil duty before my own people, as well as by humanistic motives.” He went on to characterize the revolutionary events of March 24 as a “national catastrophe,” while stressing that he ordered security forces to refrain from shooting protesters and, thus, “prevented civil war.” ÄFor background see the Eurasia Insight archiveÅ.

“The recognition of Kyrgyzstan as an island of democracy was our triumph,” he said. He also claimed credit for making limited progress in the area of economic reform, despite substantial obstacles imposed by “objective factors.”

There is also an interview with Adakhan Madumarov, a presidential candidate besides Kulov and Bakiyev.

Regardless of that though, we can not measure the success of the Tulip Revolution by the freeness, fairness, and transparency of the next election. Let’s hope they come within an appropriate time period.