Kyrgyz parliamentary elections, 2007
Encyclopedia
Early parliamentary elections were held in Kyrgyzstan
on 16 December 2007. The election was called by President
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
after the constitutional referendum
on 21 October 2007 approved a new electoral system and constitutional reform proposals, enlarging the parliament to 90 MPs and introducing party-list voting.
from the Social Democratic Party resigned and Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev
became Acting Prime Minister until the election; the resignation was reportedly over differences between Atayev and Bakiyev.
To enter parliament, a party had to pass two thresholds:
, however, claimed the election met democratic standards. Later results showed that two other parties, the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, narrowly managed to pass the national threshold.
The Supreme Court overturned the second, regional threshold two days after the vote (thus potentially broadening parliamentary representation from three to four different parties). Final results are expected to be announced on by the end of December.
According to the central electoral commission, Ak-Zhol received 71 seats, the Social Democratic Party received 11 seats and the Communist Party received 8 seats. It is unclear whether the CEC is ignoring or reinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling which would entitle the Ata-Menken party to seats despite failing to win at least 0.5% of the vote in all seven regions and two cities. The newly elected parliament convened on 21 December 2007 for the first time and will have to confirm a new government before 1 January 2008.
According to officials, Ate-Menken failed to gain the necessary votes in Osh
, yet party activists claimed to have proof of having attained more than the necessary votes.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
on 16 December 2007. The election was called by President
President of Kyrgyzstan
The President of Kyrgyzstan is the head of state and the highest official of Kyrgyzstan. The President, according to the constitution, "is the symbol of the unity of people and state power, and is the guarantor of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, and of an individual and citizen." The...
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev is a politician who served as the second President of Kyrgyzstan, from 2005 to 2010...
after the constitutional referendum
Kyrgyzstani constitutional referendum, 2007
A constitutional referendum was held in Kyrgyzstan on 21 October 2007, after the constitutional crisis caused by amendments passed since the Tulip Revolution in 2005 being invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Kyrgyzstan on 14 September 2007; in response, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev had...
on 21 October 2007 approved a new electoral system and constitutional reform proposals, enlarging the parliament to 90 MPs and introducing party-list voting.
Campaign
Twenty-two parties filed to run in the election, but some reconsidered and six were rejected by the authorities, including Taza Koom ("Clean Society"). Thus the following parties contested the election:- Ata-Menken Socialist PartyAta-Menken Socialist PartyAta-Meken Socialist Party is a political party in Kyrgyzstan. Its current Chairman and founder is Omurbek Tekebayev, who is a former speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament...
("Fatherland Socialist Party") - Party of Communists of KyrgyzstanParty of Communists of KyrgyzstanThe Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan is a political party in Kyrgyzstan. PKK was founded on June 22, 1992.It was the largest single party in the Legislative Assembly of Kyrgyzstan between 2001 and 2005 with 15 of the 60 seats. Since 2005 it has only 1 of 75 seats. It was led by Absamat...
- Ar-NamysAr-NamysAr-Namys is a political party in Kyrgyzstan. It was founded on July 9, 1999 by former Prime Minister Felix Kulov. The party quickly became the nation's leading opposition party but was barred from the 2000 parliamentary elections. However, since the party was barred its members formed a bloc with...
("Dignity") - Aalam ("Universe", party of independent people)
- Erkindik ("Freedom")
- Asaba ("Flag")
- Social Democratic Party of KyrgyzstanSocial Democratic Party of KyrgyzstanSocial Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan is a political party in Kyrgyzstan. Members formed the party on 1 October 1993, but did not register with the Justice Ministry until 16 December 1994...
- Jangy Kuech ("New Force", party of women and youth of Kyrgyzstan)
- Ak-ZholAk Zhol (Kyrgyzstan)Ak Jol is a Kyrgyz political party founded by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on 15 October 2007 to contest the parliamentary election to be held in December 2007.It gained 71 of the 90 seats and was one the three parties to enter in the parliament....
or Ak-Zhol Eldik Partiyasy ("Bright Path Popular Party") - Erkin Kyrgyzstan ("Free Kyrgyzstan")
- El Dobushu ("People's Voice")
- TuranTuranTūrān is the Persian name for Central Asia, literally meaning "the land of the Tur". As described below, the original Turanians are an Iranian tribe of the Avestan age. As a people the "Turanian" are one of the two Iranian peoples both descending from the Persian Fereydun but with different...
Controversy
On 28 November 2007, Prime Minister Almazbek AtambayevAlmazbek Atambayev
Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev is the President of Kyrgyzstan since 1 December 2011. He previously was Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 17 December 2010 to 1 December 2011, having also been Prime Minister from 29 March 2007 until 28 November 2007...
from the Social Democratic Party resigned and Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev
Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev
Iskenderbek Rysbekovich Aidaraliyev is a former Acting Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. He was appointed to that position on November 28, 2007, following the resignation of Almazbek Atambayev, and was replaced by Igor Chudinov on December 24, 2007, following the December 2007 parliamentary election...
became Acting Prime Minister until the election; the resignation was reportedly over differences between Atayev and Bakiyev.
To enter parliament, a party had to pass two thresholds:
- Obtain at least 5% of the vote nation-wide
- Obtain at least 13,500 in each of the country's seven regions and its two cities (BishkekBishkekBishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
and OshOshOsh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
)
Results
According to preliminary results based on 81% of the polling stations, turnout was over 60%, but no party apart from Ak-Zhol had managed to pass both thresholds. Ak-Zhol reportedly received 47.8% of the vote. Ata-Menken received 9.3% of the vote nationwide, but failed the regional thresholds in three regions. Ak-Zhol therefore appeared to be the only party to enter parliament. International monitors from the OSCE heavily criticised the election. Monitors from the CISCIS
CIS usually refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a modern political entity consisting of eleven former Soviet Union republics.The acronym CIS may also refer to:-Organizations:...
, however, claimed the election met democratic standards. Later results showed that two other parties, the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, narrowly managed to pass the national threshold.
The Supreme Court overturned the second, regional threshold two days after the vote (thus potentially broadening parliamentary representation from three to four different parties). Final results are expected to be announced on by the end of December.
According to the central electoral commission, Ak-Zhol received 71 seats, the Social Democratic Party received 11 seats and the Communist Party received 8 seats. It is unclear whether the CEC is ignoring or reinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling which would entitle the Ata-Menken party to seats despite failing to win at least 0.5% of the vote in all seven regions and two cities. The newly elected parliament convened on 21 December 2007 for the first time and will have to confirm a new government before 1 January 2008.
According to officials, Ate-Menken failed to gain the necessary votes in Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
, yet party activists claimed to have proof of having attained more than the necessary votes.