Looks like plans to designate March 24 a public holiday as Day of the Peoples’ Revolution may have been a little premature. As Gateza.kg reports today, yesterday the Kyrgyz Parliament voted against including the reading of the law on the celebration of March 24, meaning that as yet, despite the apparent support of the President - who has already issued a decree designating March 24 a national holiday - and government, the necessary changes to the republic’s Labour Code have not been approved.

Understandably, emotions were running a little high over the matter, with former Speaker Omurbek Tekebaev speaking out against the idea of making March 24 an official holiday:

Social surveys indicate that 90% of our electorate is against it. There is no need to force the celebrations of a few individuals on everyone as a national holiday. It is just mocking the people!

Azimbek Beknazarov, initiator of the proposed law, was far from impressed with this argument, as he made very clear:

It that case, why after the 24th [of March 2005] did you set a date for the election of a new president and make him legitimate? Why did you confirm a government that cannot solve the problem with passports? You’ve already said “A”, so now say “B” as well!

Eurasianet also covers the growing controversy surrounding plans to celebrate the day, arguing that the decree issued by President Bakiev on March 6 has aggrevated regional tensions in the country, with northerners, and in particular residents of Bishkek, feeling unsettled by the rapid influx of southerners - a phenomenon that has been compounded by ongoing land seizures and continuing protests over land in Bishkek, the most recent of which saw an estimated 200 people protest outside the White House on March 16.

Even if the law is not passed in time, March 24 will be a non-working day, and celebrations will no doubt go ahead. Interestingly, Belyi Parakhod notes that March 24 is also designated World Anti-Tuburculosis Day by the WHO, which is a serious and growing issue for the republic.