Parliamentary Elections in the Kyrgyz Republic

Parliamentary Elections in the Kyrgyz Republic

INSIGHTi
Parliamentary Elections in the Kyrgyz
Republic
December 1, 2021
On November 28, 2021, the Kyrgyz Republic (commonly known as Kyrgyzstan) held parliamentary
elections for the first time since the annulment of a disputed October 2020 electoral contest that led to
unrest and political upheaval. The November 28 elections were the first to take place under a new
constitution that significantly bolsters presidential powers at the expense of the legislature and that has
drawn criticism both for the manner in which it was adopted and for weakening checks and balances in
the government.
Kyrgyzstan has been considered by scholars and nongovernmental organizations as the most democratic
country in Central Asia for most of the 30 years since its independence. It is one of 21 countries
worldwide that participate in the House Democracy Partnership. However, recent events have raised
concerns about the future of democracy and rule of law in the country. In 2021, Freedom House classified
Kyrgyzstan as “not free” for the first time in 11 years.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) deemed the November
elections competitive but noted that “constitutional changes weakening parliament, subsequent extensive
legislative changes to key aspects of the elections, a stifled campaign and overal voter disil usionment
hindered meaningful engagement.” Some observers have raised concerns for many about the
consolidation of presidential power in what was formerly Central Asia’s only parliamentary republic.
Nevertheless, populist President Sadyr Japarov has mobilized significant support.
Background: A Weakened Parliament
After Kyrgyzstan experienced periods of political upheaval that ousted authoritarian-leaning presidents in
2005 and 2010, a new constitution adopted in 2010 limited the presidency to one six-year term and
converted the country to a semi-parliamentary system. Since that time, Kyrgyzstan’s government has
been undermined by corruption, and analysts have raised concerns about democratic backsliding in the
country. According to Freedom House, by 2020, Kyrgyzstan’s legislature had de facto surrendered its
constitutional y mandated power over the executive and become a rubber-stamp body. The country
experienced further political turmoil following disputed October 2020 parliamentary elections that
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heavily favored two pro-establishment parties. Opposition parties al eged widespread irregularities,
including vote-buying and voter intimidation. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) annulled the
elections after mass protests broke out in the capital, Bishkek. Amid the resulting power vacuum, Sadyr
Japarov, a former member of parliament who had been serving a lengthy prison sentence on charges he
maintains were political y motivated, quickly became both prime minister and acting president. Upon
taking power, Japarov and his al ies began to push for a constitutional referendum that would return the
country to a presidential form of government. In January 2021, Japarov won 79% of the vote in a snap
presidential election that coincided with a referendum in which 81% of voters approved the transition to a
presidential system.
The new constitution, endorsed by voters in a subsequent April referendum, significantly bolsters
presidential power at the expense of the legislature, transferring several key parliamentary competencies
to the executive and reducing the number of seats from 120 to 90; it also al ows a president to serve two
five-year terms. The new constitution enshrines the kurultai (people’s council) as a body with powers
paral el to that of parliament; because the constitution does not clarify the kurultai’s composition and
competencies, some have expressed concern that it may be used to sideline the legislature. Some
observers have questioned the legitimacy of these constitutional changes, as they were undertaken by a
parliament whose mandate expired in October 2020.
Elections Overview
New electoral legislation signed into law in August 2021 replaced party-list proportional representation
with a mixed voting system. Of the 90 seats in parliament, 54 are elected from open party lists in a single
nationwide constituency with a 5% electoral threshold. The remaining 36 are elected from single-mandate
districts in a first-past-the-post system. Twenty-one parties participated in the elections, and over 300
candidates ran in the new single-mandate districts.
OSCE observers described the campaign as “subdued.” Turnout was at a record low, with about 34% of
eligible voters casting bal ots (compared to about 59% in 2020). According to preliminary results, seven
parties wil enter parliament; three are seen as pro-government and are estimated to have collectively won
about 40% of the party-list vote. One opposition party passed the 5% threshold, while the remaining three
parties are not aligned with either the government or the opposition. With additional pro-government
deputies elected in the single-mandate districts, President Japarov is likely to enjoy significant
parliamentary support.
A reported technical glitch disrupted the monitor displaying the CEC’s electronic tabulation of votes on
election night, fueling accusations from opposition parties that some of their votes had been stolen.
Additional y, about 120,000 bal ots (roughly 10% of the total) were deemed invalid. Some critics al ege
that this unusual y high figure is a sign of vote-tampering. Others posit that the new mixed voting system
may have led to confusion among voters. A hand count wil determine the final results.
Outlook
Although the vote general y proceeded in an orderly fashion, some argue that the elections lay potential
groundwork for future discontent. Four opposition parties have announced that they do not accept the
results as valid, cal ing for new elections. About 100 protestors demonstrated outside CEC headquarters
on November 29. The State Committee on National Security announced the arrest of 15 suspects,
including an unspecified number of deputies from the outgoing parliament, in an al eged coup plot two
days before the elections.

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Some analysts posit that Kyrgyz voters may be drawn to a strong presidency due to long-standing
frustrations with corruption and the ineffectiveness of parliament. A public opinion survey conducted by
the International Republican Institute (IRI) in September showed general satisfaction with Japarov’s
government, with 69% of those polled stating that the country was heading in the right direction (as
compared to 41% in August 2020). Additional y, 54% indicated that they were satisfied with the
government’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 response, the highest figure recorded by IRI in Kyrgyzstan to
date. Thirty-five percent of respondents named President Japarov as the political figure they trust most,
more than any other politician.

Author Information

Maria A. Blackwood

Analyst in Asian Policy

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