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Politics of Kyrgyzstan
CIS Member State
Constitution
Executive President Sadyr Japarov Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov
Legislative Supreme Council President Talant Mamytov
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2011 2017 2021 2026 Parliamentary: 2010 2015 2020 2021 Referendums: 2010 2016 2021 (Jan) 2021 (Apr) Political parties Politicians
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Ruslan Kazakbayev Diplomatic missions of / in Kyrgyzstan Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Related topics Human rights Administrative divisions (regions districts) Tulip Revolution (2005) Second revolution (2010) Third revolution (2020)
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Kyrgyzstan elects on the national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The president is elected for a tenure of single six-year term by the people (previously, the term length was four years and briefly five years). The Supreme Council (Joghorku Keneš) is composed of 120 members filled by proportional representation.

Latest elections

Presidential elections

As of 14 November 2020, 63 individuals had filed applications to run for the office. On 4 December, the Central Committee on Elections announced the final list of 19 approved candidates.

It was announced that whilst the requirements for candidacy had been provisionally met by all 19, the final number was subject to decrease pending verification of the signatures provided within their applications. Candidates were permitted to begin formally campaigning from the 15th of December 2020, with 'early' presidential elections scheduled for January 10, 2021.

All candidates officially ran as independents, although some were supported by their respective political parties. On the final electoral ballot were listed 17 candidates including: Sadyr Japarov – aforementioned interim President following the resignation of former-President Sooronbai Jeenbekov – former head of the State National Security Committee (Государственный Комитет Национальной Безопасности) Abdil Segizbayev, journalist Kanybek Imanaliev, ex-deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (МВД) Kursan Asanov, and entrepreneur Arstanbek Abdyldaev. There was one female registered presidential candidate.

According to a 2021 report by the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), the verification of signatures by the Central Committee on Elections (Центральная Избирательная Комиссия Киргизской Республики) was "transparent and consistent."

Sadyr Japarov won the election handily, receiving nearly 80% of the vote. A total of 10,851 ballots returned were invalid, in addition to 196 which were retrieved from invalid portable ballot boxes. Turnout was 39.16%.The results of the simultaneous constitutional referendum meant that Kyrgyzstan would resort to a 'presidential', rather than a 'parliamentary' style of government.

Fewer than 40% of eligible voters participated in these 'snap' presidential elections. According to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty's Kyrgyz service (Azattyk.org) out of a national 'voting' population of 3.56 million, only 1.354 million ballots were cast. Sadyr Japarov received the 2nd highest percentage of votes in the entire history of Kyrgyz presidential elections – falling just short of Kurmanbek Bakiev's 89.5% in 2005.

According to a 2021 report by the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), the January presidential election in Kyrgyzstan was "well organized and fundamental freedoms were generally respected." However, presidential elections were conducted in synchronicity with 'snap' constitutional referendums that "weakened both the election process and public debate." It is critical that this election was "dominated by one candidate who benefitted from disproportionately large financial means and misuse of administrative resources, resulting in an uneven playing field". Whilst the legal framework of these elections "provides a sound basis for democracy," allegations of such misuse of administrative resources may include the "directed attendance of state employees at rallies… pressure on state officials and voters, as well as concerns about the involvement of organised crime in the election." It is also significant that gender equality issues were "nearly absent" from the campaign.

By the end of 2021, Kyrgyzstan's status according to the 'Freedom of the World Index' declined from 'Partly Free', to 'Not Free' as a result of "deeply flawed parliamentary elections featured significant political violence and intimidation that culminated in the irregular seizure of power…".

Parliamentary elections

Unity received a plurality of votes, beating out the Ata-Zhurt–Mekenim Kyrgyzstan alliance by under one percent, with 46 seats. Ata-Zhurt–Mekenim Kyrgyzstan received 45 seats, while other parties lagged behind. The Kyrgyzstan Party received 16 seats, while United Kyrgyzstan entered parliament for the first time with 13. Several other parties failed to meet the 7% threshold, including Ata Meken, which had been a part of every parliament since the 2010 Kyrgyz Revolution.

Out of the parties that made it into parliament, only United Kyrgyzstan consistently opposes the incumbent government led by President Jeenbekov.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Unity	469,098	24.85	46	New
	Mekenim Kyrgyzstan	452,971	24.00	45	New
	Kyrgyzstan	166,861	8.84	16	–2
	United Kyrgyzstan	139,736	7.40	13	+13
	Mekenchil	132,807	7.04	0	New
	Respublika	111,302	5.90	0	New
	Ata Meken Socialist Party	78,165	4.14	0	–11
	Light of Faith	64,715	3.43	0	New
	Bir Bol	58,389	3.09	0	–12
	Great Crusade	44,769	2.37	0	New
	Zamandash [ky]	41,720	2.21	0	0
	Social Democrats	41,023	2.17	0	New
	Reform Party	31,788	1.68	0	New
	Homeland Accord	12,021	0.64	0	New
	The Centre	4,185	0.22	0	New
	Party of Veterans of the Afghan War	3,288	0.17	0	New
Against all		34,512	1.83	–	–
Total		1,887,350	100.00	120	0
Valid votes		1,887,350	98.51
Invalid/blank votes		28,607	1.49
Total votes		1,915,957	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		3,523,554	54.38
Source: CEC

Parliamentary elections

2005

69 seats were won by the ruling party and 6 were won by the opposition. Observers said there "some technical improvements over the first round" but stressed that there remained "significant shortcomings." Following the Tulip Revolution the incomplete results were never complete and the interim president, Kurmanbek Bakiev initially postponed a new round of elections to later in the year, but subsequently put them off beyond 2005.

2000

• Assembly of People's Representatives – 20 February and 12 March 2000
• Legislative Assembly – 20 February and 12 March 2000

Election results: Total seats by party in the Supreme Council were as follows:

• Union of Democratic Forces – 12 (Naryn, Jalalabad)
• Communists – 6 (Bishkek, Tokmok, Isilkul, Talas, Osh)
• My Country Party of Action – 4
• Independents – 73
• Other – 10

note: These results include both the Assembly of People's Representatives and the Legislative Assembly.

1995

• Assembly of People's Representatives – 5 February 1995

note: not all of the 70 seats were filled at the 5 February 1995 elections; as a result, run-off elections were held at later dates; the assembly meets twice yearly

• Legislative Assembly – 5 February 1995

note: not all of the 35 seats were filled at the 5 February 1995 elections; as a result, run-off elections were held at later dates
note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February 1995 elections

See also

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system

References

1. "FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in Kyrgyzstan - AlertNet". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
2. "Шайлоо өнөктүгүнүн кезектеги этабы аяктады – КР Президентинин кызмат ордуна талапкерлер кол коюу барактарын тапшырышты жана шайлоо күрөөсүн төлөштү - КР БШК". Кыргыз Республикасынын шайлоо жана референдум өткөрүү боюнча борбордук комиссиясы (in Kyrgyz). 4 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
3. Количество кандидатов на пост президента Киргизии сократилось до 20, ТАСС, 4 декабря 2020 https://tass.ru/me…
4. ^ ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission Final Report, OSCE, June 2021, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/7/0/488587_1.pdf
5. Pannier, Bruce (12 January 2021). "Analysis: Elections In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Fail To Satisfy". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
6. Freedom House, Freedom in the World, 2021https://freedomhouse.org/country/kyrgyzstan/freedom-world/2021
7. Pannier, Bruce (3 October 2020). "Kyrgyzstan: A Guide To The Parties Competing In The Parliamentary Elections". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 5 October 2020.

v t e Elections and referendums in Kyrgyzstan
Presidential elections	1991 1995 2000 2005 2009 2011 2017 2021
Parliamentary elections	1937 1947 1951 1954 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2007 2010 2015 2020 2021 2025
Local elections	... 2004 2008 2012 2016 2021
Referendums	1991 1994 (Jan) 1994 (Oct) 1996 1998 2003 2007 2010 2016 2021 (Jan) 2021 (Apr)
See also: Elections and referendums in the Soviet Union

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