KYRGYZSTAN

ELECTIONS HELD IN 2005

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Chamber:

Jogorku Kenesh

Dates of election / renewal (from/to):

27 February 2005

Purpose of elections:

The election was held for all members in the new unicameral parliament, introduced by a referendum of February 2003.

Background and outcome of elections:

The election of 27 February 2005 was the first since a February 2003 referendum resulted in a new unicameral parliamentary system. The 75-seat Supreme Council (Jogorku Kenesh) replaced the Assembly of People's Representatives (45 seats) and the Legislative Assembly (60 seats). Out of a total population of 5 million people, 2.6 million were eligible to vote.

The elections were held eight months prior to the presidential election scheduled for 30 October 2005. In what would have been the first peaceful handover of power in Central Asia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the incumbent President, Askar Akayev, had announced that he would step down at the end of his term. President Akayev's son, daughter and sisters-in-law all ran in the parliamentary elections.

The Kyrgyz opposition attempted to unite ahead of the poll, forming electoral blocs and pledging to work together to ensure free and fair elections. Opposition parties blocked highways in protest against a newly introduced rule requiring candidates to have lived in the country for five years prior to elections. Four former ambassadors, all members of the opposition, were prevented by the rule from registering as candidates.

The election was closely monitored by a group of over 550 observers, mainly from the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. While the former said the elections were fair and transparent, the latter criticized them for failing to meet international standards for democratic elections, citing, for example, inaccuracies in lists of voters and unsealed ballot boxes. However, both observer missions lauded the calm and order that prevailed on election day and the fact that voters had a real choice in many constituencies (72 of the 75 constituencies had more than three candidates).

According to the Central Election Commission, turnout was 57 per cent. Voting did not take place in the Tong district of the Issyk-Kul region because the electoral officials were prevented from delivering ballots by protests over the disqualification of an opposition leader.

The 420 candidates all ran as independents. Only 32 received the absolute majority of votes required to be elected, ten of them purported members of Mr. Akayev's Forward, Kyrgyzstan (Alga, Kyrgyzstan) Party. Two candidates said to be pro-opposition won seats won seats: Mr. Muratbek Mukashev of the Fatherland (Ata-Jurt) Party and Mr. Azimbek Beknazarov of the Flag (Asaba) Party. Both are well-known critics of President Akayev. Other successful candidates were known to be pro-government. President Akayev's son, Aydar, won his seat, while the president's daughter went through to the second round, scheduled for 13 March.

Opposition parties criticized the first round election results and called for the cancellation of the parliamentary elections and the holding of an early presidential election. They held demonstrations in central Bishkek and in the south of the country.

In the runoff elections of 13 March 2005, independent candidates reportedly supported by Mr. Akayev's Forward, Kyrgyzstan Party won an additional 35 seats, bringing the total number of pro-government seats to 65, while opposition parties won only four, for a total of six seats. Four seats remained undecided. The runoff elections were again marred by accusations of electoral fraud. Opposition parties criticized the disqualification of a number of opposition candidates.

President Akayev's daughter was elected, while former prime minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev, thought to be the most powerful opposition candidate in the presidential election due to take place on 30 October 2005, failed to win a seat.

Opposition leaders, supported by thousands of voters, continued to call for the entire parliamentary elections to be declared null and void. They also established a coordinating committee to monitor the situation in the country, and demanded that President Akayev resign and early presidential and parliamentary elections be held. Protest rallies had spread from the capital, Bishkek, to many other provinces by 24 March 2005. The government headquarters in the capital as well as state administrations in a number of provinces were occupied by protesting voters. On 24 March 2005, President Akayev fled Bishkek to Moscow, and Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev submitted his resignation to parliament.

Parliament held an emergency session on 24 March 2005 and appointed the head of the opposition coordinating committee, Mr. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, as acting prime minister. Mr. Bakiyev then formed an interim government.

The new parliament held its first session on 27 March 2005 and elected Mr. Omurbek Tekebayev as speaker. Mr. Akayev resigned on 4 April 2005.

Early presidential elections were held on 11 July 2005 and Mr. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who had been the acting head of State since 24 March 2005, was elected President. He was sworn in on 14 August.

STATISTICS


Round no 1 (27 February 2005): Election results
Number of registered electors		2'600'000
Voters		57%
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes


Round no 2 (13 March 2005): Election results
Number of registered electors		2'600'000
Voters		59%
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes
Election was held in 44 constituencies for the two leading candidates from the 1st round.



Round no 1: Distribution of votes

Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%



Round no 2: Distribution of votes

Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group

Total

Round no 2: Distribution of seats

Political Group

Total

Comments:

- The Central Election Commission in Kyrgyzstan validated the elections of 73 members of parliament in all. All candidates had run as independents.
- On 16 May 2005, the Central Election Commission in Kyrgyzstan removed Ms. Bermet Akaeva, the daughter of the former president, from her seat in parliament.
- The election of another female MPs was invalidated (Legislative Assembly, 25 January 2006).
Supreme Council (20.05.2006)

Mr. Tynychbek Akmatbaev was killed in a hostage-taking crisis during a prison riot on 20 October 2005.

Sources:
CNN (www.cnn.com)
Radio Free Europe (www.rferl.org)
IRINNEWS (www.irinnews.org)
Itar-tass (www.itar-tass.com)

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men:

Women:

Percent of women:

0.00

Distribution of seats according to age:

Distribution of seats according to profession:

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