KYRGYZSTAN AFTER 2010: PROSPECTS FOR A PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLIC
Keywords:
Kyrgyzstan, political development, democratization, state governance, Jogorku Kenesh, Ata-Meken, SDPK (Social-Democratic Party), Ak-Shumkar, AsabaAbstract
Political development of independent Kyrgyzstan has been geared at democratization and the best possible form of governance. Under presidents Akaev and Bakiev, the semi-presidential system turned out to be a failure: in the course of time, it degenerated into monopoly rule and usurpation of state power. The events of April 2010 opened a new stage in the republic’s political development and created conditions for a semi-parliamentary form of governance.
This article analyzes the prospects for a parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan, its weak and strong points, and its future. The author argues that despite its weak points, semi-parliamentary democracy will make the republic’s political system more democratic.
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See: P. Kubicek, “Authoritarianism in Central Asia: Curse or Cure?” Third World Quarterly, Vol. 19, Issue 1, March 1998; L. Diamond, Developing Democracy: Toward Consolidation, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London,1999.
John Anderson was one of those who offered this opinion about Akaev’s presidency (see: J. Anderson, “Creating a Framework for Civil Society in Kyrgyzstan,” Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 52, Issue 1, January 2000 [from Academic Search Premier Database, 09668136]).
See: Z. Chotaev, “Politicheskoe samosoznanie i konstitutsionnye reformy v Kyrgyzstane posle sobytiy 24 marta 2005 goda,” Vestnik AUPKR (Collection of Articles and Reports at the International Conference at the Academy of State Administration at the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, 11 May, 2007), Bishkek, 2007, p. 142.
K. Collins, “The Logic of Clan Politics: Evidence from Central Asian Trajectories,” World Politics, Issue 56, January 2004, p. 231.
See: Ibid., p. 260.
See: S. Radnitz, “A Hoarse of Different Color: Revolution and Regression in Kyrgyzstan,” Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Post-communist World, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2010, p. 316.
See: J. Engvall, “Kyrgyzstan: Anatomy of a State,” Problems of Post-Communism, Vol. 54, No. 4, July-August 2007,p. 41.
See: Z. Chotaev, op. cit., pp. 143-144.
For the results, see the Official Site of the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda in the KR, available at [http://shailoo.gov.kg/], 19 January, 2011.
The figures were obtained by the author within a project of the National Institute of Strategic Studies under the
Government of the KR (for more details, see: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane: problemy i perspektivy, Bishkek, 2012, pp. 33-38).
Interview of Speaker of Jogorku Kenesh Akhmatbek Keldibekov to Region.kg Information Agency on 28 October,2011, available at [http://www.region.kg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=291:2011-10-28-06-43-14&catid=30:2011-05-22-12-08-18&Itemid=37], 25 April, 2013.
Interview of Dastan Bekeshev to Polit.kg, an information and analytical portal, 14 December, 2011, available at [http://polit.kg/print/1/93], 25 April, 2013.
See: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane, pp. 38-42.
See: Interview of Kanybek Osmonaliev to the author, 14 December, 2011.
See: “Text of the Coalition Agreement between Factions of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic,” Akipress
Information Agency, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 19 December, 2011 (in Russian).
“Text of the Coalition Agreement between Factions Yrys aldy—yntymak of Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan,” Akipress Information Agency, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 3 September, 2012 (in Russian).
The figures were obtained by the author within a project of the National Institute of Strategic Studies under the
Government of the KR (for more details, see: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane: problemy i perspektivy, Bishkek, 2012, pp. 33-38).
Interview of Speaker of Jogorku Kenesh Akhmatbek Keldibekov to Region.kg Information Agency on 28 October,2011, available at [http://www.region.kg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=291:2011-10-28-06-43-14&catid=30:2011-05-22-12-08-18&Itemid=37], 25 April, 2013.
Interview of Dastan Bekeshev to Polit.kg, an information and analytical portal, 14 December, 2011, available at [http://polit.kg/print/1/93], 25 April, 2013.
See: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane, pp. 38-42.
See: Interview of Kanybek Osmonaliev to the author, 14 December, 2011.
See: “Text of the Coalition Agreement between Factions of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic,” Akipress
Information Agency, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 19 December, 2011 (in Russian).
“Text of the Coalition Agreement between Factions Yrys aldy—yntymak of Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan,” Akipress Information Agency, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 3 September, 2012 (in Russian).
The figures were obtained by the author within a project of the National Institute of Strategic Studies under the
Government of the KR (for more details, see: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane: problemy i perspektivy, Bishkek, 2012, pp. 33-38).
Interview of Speaker of Jogorku Kenesh Akhmatbek Keldibekov to Region.kg Information Agency on 28 October,2011, available at [http://www.region.kg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=291:2011-10-28-06-43-14&catid=30:2011-05-22-12-08-18&Itemid=37], 25 April, 2013.
Interview of Dastan Bekeshev to Polit.kg, an information and analytical portal, 14 December, 2011, available at [http://polit.kg/print/1/93], 25 April, 2013.
See: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane, pp. 38-42.
See: Interview of Kanybek Osmonaliev to the author, 14 December, 2011.
See: “Text of the Coalition Agreement between Factions of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic,” Akipress Information Agency, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 19 December, 2011 (in Russian).
“Text of the Coalition Agreement between Factions Yrys aldy—yntymak of Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan,” Akipress Information Agency, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 3 September, 2012 (in Russian).
See: Coalition Agreement of Deputy Factions Yrys aldy—yntymak of Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan.
See: “Shamaral Maychiev: ‘Parlament ne obespechil v polnoy mere prozrachnoe reformirovanie Soveta po otboru sudey’,” 16 November, 2011, available at [http://www.knews.kg/ru/sudebnaya_reforma/6153/], 23 April, 2013.
This opinion is based on my interviews of members of parliamentary factions carried out in December 2011.
See: “Kyrgyzstan uluchshil pozitsii v reytinge svobody pressy,” 24.kg Information Agency, 12 February, 2013,available at [http://www.24kg.org/community/147767-kyrgyzstan-uluchshil-pozicii-v-rejtinge-svobody.html], 25 April, 2013.
For example, a regular sociological poll conducted by the International Republican Institute revealed that the majority of 1,500 polled when asked: “Do people in Kyrgyzstan fear to openly state their political convictions?” answered in the negative. In May 2011, their share was 52%; in February 2012, 69%; in February 2013, 57% (see: National Poll of People of Kyrgyzstan, February 2013. International Republican Institute (IRI) with USAID Support. Information about the project can
be found on the site [http://www.iri.org/countries-and-programs/kyrgyz-republic/kyrgyz-republic]).
See: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane, pp. 51-58.
See: Coalition Agreement of Deputy Factions Yrys aldy—yntymak of the Jogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan.
See: “Kirgizskikh deputatov zadezhali za shturm,” Lenta.ru Information Agency, 4 October, 2012, available at [http://lenta.ru/articles/2012/10/04/kyrgyz/]; Kyrgyzstan: sud vynes prigovor trem deputatam ot partii “Ata-Jurt”. Ferghana News Information Agency, 29 March, 2013, available at [http://www.fergananews.com/news/20435], 29 March, 2013.
See: “Prezident Kyrgyzstana osudil miting partii “Ata-Meken,» uchastniki kotorogo perekryli dorogu,” Argumenty i fakty v Kyrgyzstane, 15 February, 2013, available at [http://aif.kg/novosti/novosti-dnya/359-prezident-kyrgyzstana-osudil-miting-partii-ata-meken-uchastniki-kotorogo-perekryli-ulicu.html], 25 April, 2013.
The election commission changed the number of registered voters, which kept the Ediny Kyrgyzstan Party outside the parliament and raised a wave of criticism (see: “A. Madumarov schitaet proshedshie vybory nezakonnymi,” Akipress IA,available at [http://www.akipress.org], 1 November, 2010).
See: Z. Chotaev, Parlamentskaya forma pravleniya v Kyrgyzstane, p. 31.
See: “Posle Zayavleniya Prezidenta KR A. Atambaeva o borbe s korruptsiey Genprokuratura vozbudila ugolovnye dela v otnoshenii 7 deputatov i 4 ministrov i zamministrov,” Tazabek business publication, 16 April, 2013, available at [http://
ww.tazabek.kg], 16 April, 2013.
See: “A. Atambaev: ‘Ya ne budu ballotirovatsia na vtoroy srok’,” Akipress IA, 19 April, 2013, available at [http://
ww.akipress.org], 19 April, 2013; “A. Atambaev ob itogakh poezdki v Turtsiyu: v kyrgyzsko-turetskikh otnosheniyakh otkryvaetsya novaya stranitsa,” Akipress IA, 16 January, 2012, available at [http://www.akipress.org], 16 January, 2012.
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