Expensive fireworks filled the air on the night after elections to celebrate the victory of Askar Akaev in Ala-Too Square. The man whom 74% of Kyrgyzstan’s population support and admire. The battle was won! Most of the Kyrgyz newspapers announced that fact with the headline, "Kyrgyzstan made its right choice for the continuation of democratic reforms." However, the National Democratic Institute and the OSCE declared the elections undemocratic due to various reasons. They found that "politically-motivated persecutions and a highly questionable linguistic test" eliminated the most popular candidates Daniyar Usenov and Felix Kulov, along with six other, from running. As much as 90% of the media coverage was devoted to Askar Akaev compared to less than 10% to the other candidates. Election monitoring organizations were barred from observing the elections. The media of Kyrgyzstan failed to show independence or maintain a neutral position during the elections.

It is a general phenomenon in post-Soviet countries that miracles happen right after the election campaign is announced. If there is no electricity for a month, it miraculously appears right before the elections. In the case of Kyrgyzstan, the government miraculously provided a 20% pension increase to retirees and cheap bus passes for all students. Most important for the Russian-speaking electorate, Russian became an official language even though candidates were excluded if their Kyrgyz language abilities were not deemed satisfactory. The media repeated government slogans and persuaded the public that no other candidate could enact successful reforms, establish peaceful multi-ethnic cooperation, and foster the building of democracy except President Akaev.

Each segment of the population was invited to write open letters supporting their "most wonderful" President that were published in the majority of newspapers. Students were forced to miss classes to attend pre-election rallies and speeches by Askar Akaev himself. At such rallies each student received a book about the First President and a T-shirt emblazoned with huge red letters reading, "AKAEV!" Before the speeches, representatives of the Youth Parliament coached the student audiences to chant, "youth are for Askar Akaev!" Akaev addressed students with his usual 40-minute speech frequently given in auditoriums or halls decorated with slogans reading "Askar Akaevich we are with you!" and "we are confident you are with us!" Akaev informed the students that Kyrgyz youth are "most intelligent, educated, 100 percent Internet-literate" in the entire CIS. He also promised a student stipend increase in the year 2001.

As for the visual propaganda, the majority of Bishkek shops still have posters "For Akaev!" on their front windows. Candidate Almazbek Atambaev’s posters were declared illegal since he had them printed before he was officially registered as a candidate and his posters also remain on windows only covered with black paint. Now that the elections are over, Askar Akaev begins his third five-year term. Opposition parties are confused and disappointed. The Kyrgyz people however feel that Kyrgyzstan at least cannot get any worse since they elected a president who is predictable and is known for his democratic reforms, however undemocratic the elections turned out to be. About 80% of Kyrgyzstanis live below the poverty line and earn under $4 a month. This is perhaps President Akaev’s last opportunity to rectify this desperate situation.

Anonymous, Bishkek