European Forum

Key parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is on the verge of becoming the first parliamentary democracy in a region dominated by post-Soviet authoritarian rulers, as the country held key parliamentary elections on 10 October. Ata Zhurt, a nationalist party that wants to go back to a presidential form of government, surprisingly won the elections, closely followed by the Social Democratic Party. These Kyrgyz elections follow the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiev on 7 April and the ethnic disturbances of June in which more than 400 people were killed. Less than four months ago the Kyrgyz citizens voted in a referendum in favour of the introduction of a parliamentary democracy and constitutional changes, including curbing presidential powers.

Five parties in parliament
The election took place in a peaceful atmosphere and passed quietly without major incidents. The campaign was very competitive and visible, with each party being able to campaign freely. The turnout was 57 percent out of the 2.8 million registered voters. Five parties (out of the 29 registered) have reached the threshold to enter parliament. Ata Zhurt, a nationalist party popular among many ethnic Kyrgyz in the south, won the elections with 8.9 percent of the votes. Its members include former colleagues of former president Bakiev. Ata Zhurt wants to return to a presidential form of government and shut down the American military base. A close second is the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan with 8.0 percent. Its leader, Almazbek Atambayev, was deputy to Otunbayeva in the interim government that took power in April. The Ar Namys party of former prime minister Felix Kulov comes in third with 7.7 percent. He has been a harsh critic of the model of parliamentary democracy and is an outspoken advocate of close relations with Russia. Fourth is the party led by ex-parliamentary deputy Omurbek Babanov, called Respublika. The Ata Meken party led by Omurbek Tekebayev, the author of the constitutional reforms that made the vote possible, came in fifth.

New constitution
According to the new constitution, 30 percent of the candidates of the participating parties should be a woman, and 15 percent should be of an ethnic minority. To win seats in the parliament, a party must have received at least 5 percent of the total vote and at least 0.5 percent of the vote in all seven of Kyrgyzstan’s provinces and the two major cities (Bishkek and Osh). Furthermore, no party can get more than 65 out of the 120 seats in parliament. All seats are distributed proportionately to those parties that pass the entry threshold. The new parliament will then choose a prime minister who, instead of the president, will be running the country. The prime minister will have the task of bridging political and ethnic rifts.

Supporters and critics
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has made a positive assessment of the elections, calling it “a vibrant campaign marked by political pluralism and respect for fundamental freedoms”. Morten Høglund, Special Coordinator of the OSCE observer mission, said: “I was impressed by the political pluralism, the civic responsibility and the spirit of the people of this country [Kyrgyzstan]. I have observed many elections in Central Asia over the years, but this is the first election where I could not predict the outcome. This election reflected the will of the people of the Kyrgyz Republic”. However, alongside these positive remarks, the OSCE also stressed that the legal framework for elections is still in need of reform, as it is not yet consistent with the new constitution. The United States openly supports the Kyrgyz move towards parliamentary democracy. Russia, on the other hand, has openly criticized and opposed the switch, arguing that it exposes the country to instability and violence. Russian media have been drawing an unflattering portrait of Ata Meken leader Omurbek Tekebayev. Other critics say parties that are excluded from the new parliament may cause unrest, while some Kyrgyz citizens are afraid the new government will attempt to resurrect Bakiev’s policies, considering that the leading party Ata Zhurt contains many of his former colleagues.

What is next
The big question now is what kind of coalition will emerge in Kyrgyzstan. A lot will depend on the parties that came in third and fourth in these elections. It is not even sure whether Kyrgyzstan will remain a parliamentary democracy, as three of the five parties that reached the threshold are in favour of a return to the presidential system. Nevertheless, interim president Roza Otunbayeva is very proud of the fact that “these elections were completely different to those we have seen before” in Kyrgyzstan. Chynybai Tursunbekov of the Social Democratic Party, said that “this is the first time that the people of Kyrgyzstan have tasted democracy”.

Sources: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Reuters, OSCE, BBC