by Ulan Temirov. July 12, 2010. EurasiaNet

They stopped the looting, helped save the new government, and gave many frightened residents in strife-torn Kyrgyzstan peace of mind. But there’s a danger now that members of Kyrgyzstan's volunteer militia formations – or narodniye druzhiniki – may develop into players who exert undue influence over the next phase of the Central Asian nation’s political development.

Amid the early April tumult that brought down former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s administration, young men in Bishkek and other cities began forming druzhiniki groups to patrol the streets and restore order.

These groups were originally envisioned as a temporary solution to security challenges. But in the ongoing unrest that has plagued Kyrgyzstan since April, militia groups have kept on amassing influence.

Daniyar Terbishaliev, director of Patriot, the largest volunteer security group that counts more than 3,000 members across the country, told EurasiaNet.org that the provisional government would not have survived without the volunteers because “the police turned out to be incapable to fulfill their primary tasks.”

It reached a point in mid-June that – as violence engulfed southern Kyrgyzstan – the Ministry of Interior began contracting some 12,290 registered druzhiniki from at least 12 militias for $4 per day. And at least 7,500 druzhiniki – some paid – helped secure polling stations nationwide during the June 27 referendum that approved a new constitution, the AKIpress news agency reported. READ MORE…