Kyrgyzstani parliamentary election, 2010
Encyclopedia
An early parliamentary election was held in Kyrgyzstan
on 10 October 2010. All 120 seats of the Jogorku Kenesh
were elected by using a party list system. Seats were allocated to all parties who obtained more than 5% of the vote and more than 0.5% in each of the nine provinces, capped at 65 seats per party.
Ata-Zhurt won a plurality of seats, while the ruling interim government's party finished second, and the pro-Russian Ar-Namys came in third.
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
was ousted
, which brought to power an interim government led by Roza Otunbayeva
. An election and reform plan was unveiled on 19 April 2010. A referendum
in June overwhelmingly approved a reform to turn the country from a presidential system
to a parliamentary system
. The new constitution would allow the parliament to choose a prime minister
and also to play a key role in forming the new government.
Kyrgyzstan's geostrategic location is vital because it supplies the War in Afghanistan
through the Manas Air Base, and it is also the only country to host both an American and Russian base. Political developments in 2010 also pleased the US but were an annoyance to Russia, who warned the first parliamentary democracy in Central Asia could be catastrophic for Kyrgyzstan. Russia also considers the area as its sphere of influence
.
Originally, the presidential elections
were to be held on the same day. However, these were delayed until October 2011, with Otunbayeva remaining president until 31 December 2011.
saying that no party could easily win a majority and the result was hard to predict. Leaflets distributed in the south of the country urged people "not to tolerate" parties led by northerners, in a sign of remaining tensions following the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
.
Ar-Namys opposed the new found parliamentary system and said it would restore the older system of presidential rule. Ata-Zhurt campaigned for the return of Bakiyev from his exile in Belarus, and also advocated a return to presidential rule.
Roza Otunbayeva
vowed to uphold a "spirit of fairness and transparency." She also talked of the importance of the election: "These elections are of fateful importance for our people and state. We are not just electing a parliament but starting a new system and opening a new page in our history."
, with Russia
backing the opposition Ar-Namys
party, which is led by a former KGB
general and has sought to reverse the constitutional change and reinstate a presidential system. It said six parties were expected to exceed the 5% threshold and win seats.
A poll of 1,500 people in late September by Perspectiva showed seven parties crossing the 5% threshold to win seats:
The Kyrgyz nationalist party, Ata-Zhurt, were expected to do well among ethnic Kyrgyz in the south. Ata-Meken and the SPDK were supporters of the interim administration.
Zarylbek Rysaliyev, the interior minister, also claimed to know of about 10 "areas of potential clashes with some hotheads planning to snatch ballot boxes." There were also concerns in the international media of a renewal of ethnic strife that occurred earlier in the year.
The election was observed by 850 international monitors from 32 organisations, including 300 monitors from the OSCE.
Turnout was reported to be strong, particularly in Osh.
According to Article 77 of the Kyrgyz Republic Code on Elections, the threshold for the allotment of seats is receiving five percent of the votes of all eligible voters entered on the voter rolls. For this reason, only the top five parties (Ata-Zhurt, SDPK, Ar-Namys, Respublika and Ata-Meken) were allotted seats. The sixth party, Butun Kyrgyzstan, received more than five percent of the votes cast, but because it did not receive more than five percent of the votes of all eligible voters entered on the voter rolls, it was not allotted any seats.
Article 77 also requires parties to win 0.5% of the votes of all eligible voters in each oblast
of Kyrgyzstan, as well as the cities of Bishkek and Osh. Though Ata-Zhurt won the plurality of the vote, especially with their southern stronghold, an electoral official said they barely overcame the 0.5% barrier in Bishkek and in Chuy province.
The results set the stage for coalition talks.
Otunbayeva, who had refused to push back the election despite warnings of potential new unrest, hailed the election: "We have not known such elections for the last 20 years." Despite her comments, the government was reported to have been "plunged into a state of shock" over the results. Russia's Kommersant
reported that the victory of Ata-Zhurt was a blow to the interim government.
US President Barack Obama
congratulated Kyrgyzstan for this "historic" election, and said it proved that the Kyrgz people were "committed to power transfers by peaceful, democratic means." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he feared there would be "difficulties" after the poll. "An abrupt shift to a parliamentary model can create difficulties...Now some difficult work to form a coalition lies ahead."
) behind these actions."
without much capacity for decision-making, with Ar-Namys likely to play the role of kingmaker
.
Following the election, SDPK, Respublika and Ata-Meken agreed on a coalition in late November. However, as soon as the coalition was officially agreed to on 2 December, it collapsed when it failed to elect a speaker of parliament (with only 58 of the 67 coalition MPs voting for the desginated speaker in a secret vote).
On 15 December, Respublika announced it had successfully negotiated the creation of a coalition government with SDPK and Ata-Zhurt. SDPK's Almazbek Atambayev
became Prime Minister
with 92-seats in the 120-seat chamber, Ata-Zhurt's Akhmatbek Keldibekov
was chosen as Speaker of Parliament with 101 to 14 votes and Respublika's Omurbek Babanov
would then become Deputy Prime Minister. The new government was approved later on the same day.
An analyst in Kazakhstan also suggested the election would "face its toughest test" if the losers opt to challenge the results in both the courts and the streets. "If certain people know they will lose their high-ranking posts after the election, then it's in their interest to destabilise the situation. They could take steps to remain in power or create chaos."
The Washington Post said the biggest surprise of the election was that it was "not a foregone conclusion," and thus it made this "small...nation the first in Central Asia to hold free elections in pursuit of a democratic system." It also quoted Alexey Malashenko of the Carnegie Moscow Center who said "These elections were very successful because they took place at all. Kyrgyzstan showed it is an exception in Central Asia. Despite many predictions to the contrary, the elections were held."
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 10 October 2010. All 120 seats of the Jogorku Kenesh
Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan
The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan is the unicameral Parliament of Kyrgyzstan. It has 120 seats with members elected for a five-year term by party-list proportional voting.-History:...
were elected by using a party list system. Seats were allocated to all parties who obtained more than 5% of the vote and more than 0.5% in each of the nine provinces, capped at 65 seats per party.
Ata-Zhurt won a plurality of seats, while the ruling interim government's party finished second, and the pro-Russian Ar-Namys came in third.
Background
In April 2010, PresidentPresident 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...
was ousted
2010 Kyrgyzstani uprising
The 2010 Kyrgyzstani revolution was a series of riots and demonstrations across Kyrgyzstan in April 2010 that led ultimately to the ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The uprising stemmed from growing anger against Bakiyev's administration, rising energy prices, and the sluggish economy, and...
, which brought to power an interim government led by Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politican who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April revolution which led to the ousting of then President Kurmanbek...
. An election and reform plan was unveiled on 19 April 2010. A referendum
Kyrgyzstani constitutional referendum, 2010
A constitutional referendum was held in Kyrgyzstan on 2010 to reduce presidential powers and strengthen democracy in the wake of the 2010 Kyrgyzstani riots. Parliamentary elections followed on 2010.-Background:...
in June overwhelmingly approved a reform to turn the country from a presidential system
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
to a parliamentary system
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
. The new constitution would allow the parliament to choose a prime minister
Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan
The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan is the head of government of Kyrgyzstan. Generally, the President is in a stronger position than the Prime Minister in Kyrgyzstan. The president is allowed to appoint the Prime Minister temporarily, and his appointment is known as the acting Prime Minister...
and also to play a key role in forming the new government.
Kyrgyzstan's geostrategic location is vital because it supplies the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
through the Manas Air Base, and it is also the only country to host both an American and Russian base. Political developments in 2010 also pleased the US but were an annoyance to Russia, who warned the first parliamentary democracy in Central Asia could be catastrophic for Kyrgyzstan. Russia also considers the area as its sphere of influence
Sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or conceptual division over which a state or organization has significant cultural, economic, military or political influence....
.
Originally, the presidential elections
Kyrgyzstani presidential election, 2011
Early presidential elections were held in Kyrgyzstan on 30 October 2011 to replace Interim President Roza Otunbayeva. It was won in the first round by the former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.-Background:...
were to be held on the same day. However, these were delayed until October 2011, with Otunbayeva remaining president until 31 December 2011.
Campaign
Over 3,000 candidates from 29 political parties competed for the 120 seats, with the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
saying that no party could easily win a majority and the result was hard to predict. Leaflets distributed in the south of the country urged people "not to tolerate" parties led by northerners, in a sign of remaining tensions following the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots were clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, primarily in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, in the aftermath of the ouster of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7. It is part of the larger 2010 Kyrgyzstan crisis. Violence that...
.
Ar-Namys opposed the new found parliamentary system and said it would restore the older system of presidential rule. Ata-Zhurt campaigned for the return of Bakiyev from his exile in Belarus, and also advocated a return to presidential rule.
Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Otunbayeva
Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politican who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 April 2010 until 1 December 2011. She was sworn in on July 3, 2010, after acting as interim leader following the 2010 April revolution which led to the ousting of then President Kurmanbek...
vowed to uphold a "spirit of fairness and transparency." She also talked of the importance of the election: "These elections are of fateful importance for our people and state. We are not just electing a parliament but starting a new system and opening a new page in our history."
Civil activities
The organisations conducting monitoring were in the first positions among NGO according to Mass Media for the period from August till October. Traditionally these are: “For Democracy and a Civil Society” Coalition of NGO, “Taza Shailoo” Association . The “Free generation” Liberal Youth Alliance for the first time joined the supervision organization, and young men became target audience . On the day of voting in 127 stations of the country, young short-term observers carried out monitoring of electoral rights within the limits of the campaign “Youth for fair elections. Let’s prove it!”Polling
The interim government of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SPDK) was backed by the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
backing the opposition Ar-Namys
Ar-Namys
Ar-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...
party, which is led by a former KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
general and has sought to reverse the constitutional change and reinstate a presidential system. It said six parties were expected to exceed the 5% threshold and win seats.
A poll of 1,500 people in late September by Perspectiva showed seven parties crossing the 5% threshold to win seats:
| Party | Leader | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ata-Meken | Omurbek Tekebayev Omurbek Tekebayev Omurbek Tekebayev is a Kyrgyz politician. He is a member and former speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, elected on March 28, 2005. Tekebaev is the leader of the Ata-Meken socialist party.... |
14.6% |
| Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan Social 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... |
Almazbek Atambaev | 10.5% |
| Ata-Zhurt Ata-Zhurt Ata-Zhurt, sometimes Ata-Jurt, , or Fatherland, is a political party in Kyrgyzstan. Its political base is in the south of the country, but the party is headquartered in the capital Bishkek... |
Kamchybek Tashiyev | 9.9% |
| Respublika | Omurbek Babano | 8.7% |
| Akshumkar | Temir Sariyev | 6.9% |
| Ar-Namys Ar-Namys Ar-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... |
Felix Kulov Felix Kulov Felix Sharshenbayevich Kulov served as Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan following the Tulip Revolution. He first served from 1 September 2005 until he resigned on 19 December 2006... |
6.9% |
| Butun Kyrgyzstan | Adakahn Madumarov | 5.7% |
| Other | 13.8% | |
| Undecided | 23% |
The Kyrgyz nationalist party, Ata-Zhurt, were expected to do well among ethnic Kyrgyz in the south. Ata-Meken and the SPDK were supporters of the interim administration.
Controversy
Protestors attacked the offices of the Ata-Zhurt party, burned campaign leaflets and demanded they be banned from the vote.Zarylbek Rysaliyev, the interior minister, also claimed to know of about 10 "areas of potential clashes with some hotheads planning to snatch ballot boxes." There were also concerns in the international media of a renewal of ethnic strife that occurred earlier in the year.
Election
In the previous election, there were 90 seats, though this was increased to 120 after the constitutional referendum.The election was observed by 850 international monitors from 32 organisations, including 300 monitors from the OSCE.
Turnout was reported to be strong, particularly in Osh.
According to Article 77 of the Kyrgyz Republic Code on Elections, the threshold for the allotment of seats is receiving five percent of the votes of all eligible voters entered on the voter rolls. For this reason, only the top five parties (Ata-Zhurt, SDPK, Ar-Namys, Respublika and Ata-Meken) were allotted seats. The sixth party, Butun Kyrgyzstan, received more than five percent of the votes cast, but because it did not receive more than five percent of the votes of all eligible voters entered on the voter rolls, it was not allotted any seats.
Article 77 also requires parties to win 0.5% of the votes of all eligible voters in each oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
of Kyrgyzstan, as well as the cities of Bishkek and Osh. Though Ata-Zhurt won the plurality of the vote, especially with their southern stronghold, an electoral official said they barely overcame the 0.5% barrier in Bishkek and in Chuy province.
The results set the stage for coalition talks.
Reaction
The international team of observers hailed the vote, with the OSCE team saying the election were a step in the"further consolidation of the democratic process." While the observers said that this was unlike other elections in the past and did not have the same irregularities, they did point out some peculiarities whereas the Central Election Commission were underprepared for the polls, and such ""under-the-counter dealings" may have taken place. Only one observer had a negative reaction to the vote, though most were satisfied that this was a "step in the right direction."Otunbayeva, who had refused to push back the election despite warnings of potential new unrest, hailed the election: "We have not known such elections for the last 20 years." Despite her comments, the government was reported to have been "plunged into a state of shock" over the results. Russia's Kommersant
Kommersant
Kommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
reported that the victory of Ata-Zhurt was a blow to the interim government.
US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
congratulated Kyrgyzstan for this "historic" election, and said it proved that the Kyrgz people were "committed to power transfers by peaceful, democratic means." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he feared there would be "difficulties" after the poll. "An abrupt shift to a parliamentary model can create difficulties...Now some difficult work to form a coalition lies ahead."
Violence
Kamchibek Tashiyev, the head of Ata-Zhurt, said he had been attacked. "They broke in like bandits...I think they intended to shoot me. I believe they tried to eliminate me - the forces that want to cancel election results and impose a state of emergency. I know for sure, GSNB (security services) was (sicSic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) behind these actions."
Government formation
The result was seen as setting the stage for a fractured legislatureHung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
without much capacity for decision-making, with Ar-Namys likely to play the role of kingmaker
Kingmaker
Kingmaker is a term originally applied to the activities of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick — "Warwick the Kingmaker" — during the Wars of the Roses in England. The term has come to be applied more generally to a person or group that has great influence in a royal or political succession,...
.
Following the election, SDPK, Respublika and Ata-Meken agreed on a coalition in late November. However, as soon as the coalition was officially agreed to on 2 December, it collapsed when it failed to elect a speaker of parliament (with only 58 of the 67 coalition MPs voting for the desginated speaker in a secret vote).
On 15 December, Respublika announced it had successfully negotiated the creation of a coalition government with SDPK and Ata-Zhurt. SDPK's Almazbek Atambayev
Almazbek 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...
became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan
The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan is the head of government of Kyrgyzstan. Generally, the President is in a stronger position than the Prime Minister in Kyrgyzstan. The president is allowed to appoint the Prime Minister temporarily, and his appointment is known as the acting Prime Minister...
with 92-seats in the 120-seat chamber, Ata-Zhurt's Akhmatbek Keldibekov
Akhmatbek Keldibekov
Akhmatbek Keldibekov is the Speaker of Parliament in Kyrgyzstan as of 17 December 2010. He is a member of the Ata-Zhurt party. He was elected with 101 votes in favour and 14 against as part of the formation of a new government.-References:...
was chosen as Speaker of Parliament with 101 to 14 votes and Respublika's Omurbek Babanov
Omurbek Babanov
Omurbek Babanov is a Kyrgyz politician who serves as an acting Prime Minister since 23 September 2011, as the Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev is running in the presidential elections.- References :...
would then become Deputy Prime Minister. The new government was approved later on the same day.
Analysis
The result was also called a surprise because of the victory of Ata-Zhurt and its calls for Bakiyev's return, despite the election taking place under the auspices of the government that overthrew him. Thus this result "would seem to neutralize the uprising" earlier in the year. With a razor-thin plurality, the party would need an alliance of two other parties but it was seen as an "unenviable task" to form a coalition. A weak government could even force another election before the government's mandate runs out. Parallels were also drawn to the failure to form a government in Iraq following the general election there and the possibility for more instability. Furthermore, there was uncertainty in regards to the American-leased Manas air base as Ata-Zurt campaigned against extending the lease past 2011.An analyst in Kazakhstan also suggested the election would "face its toughest test" if the losers opt to challenge the results in both the courts and the streets. "If certain people know they will lose their high-ranking posts after the election, then it's in their interest to destabilise the situation. They could take steps to remain in power or create chaos."
The Washington Post said the biggest surprise of the election was that it was "not a foregone conclusion," and thus it made this "small...nation the first in Central Asia to hold free elections in pursuit of a democratic system." It also quoted Alexey Malashenko of the Carnegie Moscow Center who said "These elections were very successful because they took place at all. Kyrgyzstan showed it is an exception in Central Asia. Despite many predictions to the contrary, the elections were held."