Kyrgyzstan has been, in 2020, significantly affected by never-ending political crisis, elections and referendums with one more important referendum about the new constitution coming up on 11th April 2021. Meanwhile, various events within the country are shaping public opinions and the country itself, and the newly elected president is on the tour visiting neighbouring countries and partners.
President on the Tour
Newly elected president of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, who, according to the Central Election Commission received 79% of votes in the January 2020 elections, went on the traditional tour to the friendly and neighbouring countries (BBC, 2021). His first destination was the Russian Federation at the end of February 2021. Before his departure, the president published a policy paper in a state newspaper “Slovo Kyrgyzstana”, where he praised the bilateral cooperation of these two countries as the national interest for Kyrgyzstan. He also defended the Russian language as the official one, connecting it with the importance of interethnic communication. Two days before the visit, the new Kyrgyz Ambassador to the Russian Federation was appointed as a gesture of the importance of relations. In Moscow, he met with Vladimir Putin and other state representatives with positive and friendly outcome presented to the media: “Undoubtedly, my first trip abroad to Russia as the president of the Kyrgyz Republic proves the high level of the bilateral ties between our nations. We intend to continue strengthening strategic partnership and allied ties” (Warsaw Institute, 2021).
The second visit was to Kazakhstan, where he met with the Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other high state representatives. The outcome was strengthening of bilateral relations, cross-border cooperation and presumably seven documents, including a program of cooperation for the foreign ministries in 2021-2022 (Putz, 2021). The third official visit was to Uzbekistan in the second week of March – the country, with which Kyrgyzstan has a border issue since 1991 with occasional conflicts. The outcome of the meeting with a huge attendance of state representatives from both sides was an agreement on ending the border issue within the 3 months from the meeting, which was also one of the main agendas of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev. This makes the optimistic expectations realistic (RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, 2021).
Sadyr Japarov, as the new Kyrgyz president, is trying hard to achieve acknowledgement by allies and partners through the official state visits. Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the beginning, but it shows us the political area and direction to which the new president and his office are leading the future of the country. The official visit to China is most likely only a question of time, but the fact that it was not the first choice is implying the continuing dominance of pro-Russian foreign policy orientation in the country.
Constitutional referendum
The first referendum was held on January the 10th, alongside the presidential elections won by Sadyr Japarov. He received 1,105,248 (79,83%) votes out of 1,395,513. The second candidate, Adakhan Madumarov, received less than 100 000 votes. The turnout was 39% of eligible voters. The referendum with options to choose between a presidential, parliamentary governmental system or vote against all forms of government ended with 1,133,485 (84,11%) votes in favour for a presidential system, 151,931 (11,27%) votes for parliamentary system and 62,145 (4,61%) votes against both of them (Election Guide, 2021).
Results of the referendum confirmed the support within the electorate to the change of government into the presidential system. On the 11th March, the Kyrgyz parliament approved a law for a referendum on constitutional amendments increasing the president’s powers. The law was approved by 94 parliamentary members with 6 votes against it (RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, 2021). On 12th March, the Kyrgyz president also approved a law to hold a constitutional referendum, following the decision in the parliament. The purpose of the referendum is a change to the presidential system, reduction of the number of deputies in the parliament from 120 to 90 and the creation of a new governmental body “People’s Assembly”, which should be making recommendations to the government. The referendum will be held together with the local elections. Ongoing actions and initiatives are coming after the 11 years since the presidential system was changed into the parliamentary one through the referendum in 2010 (Tayfur, 2021).
The support of the change from parliamentary to the presidential system is, according to the results of January’s referendum, high enough even though only 40% of voters were present during elections. There is a small chance for a different result in the coming referendum and elections.
Other issues
In February, Kyrgyzstan became the 32nd country to register Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against the COVID-19 (Reuters, 2021). Kyrgyz citizens shall be, again, able to apply for VISA in the United States, because the new cabinet of the US president Joe Biden overturned Trump’s Muslim ban to which also Kyrgyzstan, as a country with a Muslim majority, belonged (Reuters, 2021). Freedom House, the Washington-based human rights watchdog, published a report on the world’s democracy, and Kyrgyzstan alongside Belarus were the countries experiencing the biggest drops in political rights and civil liberties globally (RFE/RL, 2021). Lastly, there is an issue between the United States and the local crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, on whom the US offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the disruption of his criminal network since 2014. The Kyrgyz court decided to release him, to which the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek proclaimed a “deeply concerned” stance of the US (Putz, 2021).
Kyrgyzstan is undergoing great changes, but it can’t be said they are good ones for the democracy in the country. Strengthening and concentrating of power in the hands of the president and huge drops in civil and political rights can turn the state into another autocratic one on the periphery of the international community. Another important matter is the relations between Kyrgyzstan and the great world and regional powers. The presented close political and military ties with the Russian Federation, economic dependence on China and diplomatic issues with the United States are going to be interesting topics for both the Kyrgyz leadership but also for analytics around the globe.
Richard Straka
Sources:
Photo Source: President.kg. (2021). Президент Садыр Жапаров встретился с Президентом Узбекистана Шавкатом Мирзиёевым. President.kg. 11. 03. 2021 (http://www.president.kg/ru/sobytiya/novosti/18868_prezident_sadir_ghaparov_vstretilsya_sprezidentom_uzbekistana_shavkatom_mirziyoevim?fbclid=IwAR26ZryYudgetNrnVqJ2TSpiOfsBBcg6MkdaSF1xkHcspR0PV38XiudKVlA).
Warsaw Institute. (2021). “Strategic Partnership:” New Kyrgyz President Visits Russia. Warsaw Institute. 26. 02. 2011 (https://warsawinstitute.org/strategic-partnership-new-kyrgyz-president-visits-russia/).
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Election Guide. (2021). Kyrgyz Republic. Election Guide. (https://www.electionguide.org/countries/id/117/).
BBC. (2021). Kyrgyzstan election: Sadyr Japarov wins presidency with landslide. BBC. 11. 01. 2021 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55613552).
Reuters. (2021). Kyrgyzstan registers Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for use – RDIF. Reuters. 23. 02. 2021 (https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSR4N2BC0DH).
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Tayfur, N. A. (2021.) Kyrgyzstan to hold constitutional referendum in April. Anadolu Agency.12. 03. 2021 (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/kyrgyzstan-to-hold-constitutional-referendum-in-april/2174424).
Reuters (2021). U.S. says visa applicants denied due to Trump ‚Muslim ban‘ can reapply. Reuters. 09. 03. 2021 (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration/u-s-says-visa-applicants-denied-due-to-trump-muslim-ban-can-reapply-idUSKBN2B104P).
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