Parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan 2020
The 2020 parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were held in the Kyrgyz Republic on October 4, 2020 . The 120 members of the Kyrgyz parliament, the Dschogorku Kengesch, were elected .
After massive protests in the capital Bishkek and other cities in the country, the electoral authority announced on October 6, 2020 that the election results of October 4 were canceled, so that new elections are necessary in Kyrgyzstan. The further process remains unclear for the time being. President Sooronbai Dscheenbekow called on the protesters to moderate and stop the mass protests.
According to the preliminary results of the election, four parties should move into the newly formed parliament, with the Birimdik party forming the largest parliamentary group. Of the seven parties that were represented in Jogorku Kengesch after the parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan in 2015 , only the Kyrgyzstan party would have managed to re-enter parliament. Despite this great dynamic, the parliamentary elections had on the whole like a vote for the course of the previous government under the leadership of the Kyrgyz Social Democratic Party (SDPK ) , since with Birimdik, Mekenim Kyrgyzstan and the Kyrgyzstan party, mainly pro -government parties are represented in parliament.
Electoral system
The electoral system in Kyrgyzstan remained largely unchanged compared to the previous parliamentary election in 2015. The 120 MPs in Jogorku Kengesch are elected by proportional representation. For this purpose, the registered parties draw up an election list from which a certain number of candidates move into parliament depending on the voting share of the nominating party. A double threshold clause applies: 7% of the votes cast nationwide and 0.7% of the votes cast in each of the country's nine areas, including the two largest cities in the country, Bishkek and Osh . During the legislative period , the nationwide threshold was briefly raised to 9%, but this step was withdrawn before the election so that the adjustment did not take effect.
The right to vote applied to all Kyrgyz citizens who were 18 years of age or older at the time of the election, with the exception of criminals and people with a mental disorder . Kyrgyz citizens aged at least 21 years of age could run for a mandate as long as they were nominated by a registered party and have no registered criminal record .
Parties
A total of 16 political parties ran for parliamentary elections, which is an increase of two parties compared to the 2015 parliamentary election. With the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) and Onuguu Progress, two of the parties previously represented in parliament no longer stood for election.
Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan
In the past legislative period, the SDPK was the largest parliamentary group involved in the government coalition and has had a decisive influence on Kyrgyz politics in recent years, including the incumbent President Dscheenbekow and his predecessor in the highest office of Kyrgyzstan, Almasbek Atambayev , were members of the SDPK. After the peaceful change of power from Atambayev to Dscheenbekow in the course of the presidential election in Kyrgyzstan in 2017 , a power struggle began in the course of 2018 between the president and his predecessor in office, which culminated in Atambayev's arrest after violent clashes between security forces and Atambayev's supporters. Within the SDPK, the conflict between the camps of the two top politicians continued and ultimately led to the split in the SDPK. Atambayev's supporters rallied in the Kyrgyz Social Democrats party, while numerous supporters of the incumbent president switched to the Birimdik party.
Birimdik
After the fall of the SDPK, the Birimdik party was considered an unofficial ruling party and nominated numerous prominent supporters of the president, including his brother Asylbek Dscheenbekow and the deputy parliamentary speaker Aida Kasymalijewa . The party gave the implementation of a democratic socialism as the overriding goal . The party also stands for increased cooperation with Russia , also within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union . In the election campaign, the party tried both to serve the Soviet nostalgia that was widespread in parts of the population and to emphasize the importance of Kyrgyz traditions.
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan
The second favorite in the run-up to the election was the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan party . This was largely directed by the powerful Matraimow family around Raimbek Matraimow , who had made great fortune in his function as deputy head of the Kyrgyz customs authority. In terms of content, the party is also considered to be pro-Russia and largely loyal to the government. Another central concern of the party was a reduction in bureaucracy in Kyrgyzstan and more responsibility for the individual areas of the country in the context of decentralization . Due to the large financial resources of the party through the support of the Matraimow family, it was already at the center of allegations of manipulation through the purchase of votes during the election campaign.
Kyrgyzstan Party
After the general election in 2015, the Kyrgyzstan party surprisingly formed the third largest group in the Kyrgyz parliament with 18 members. The party's registration for the 2020 parliamentary election was the subject of a legal dispute after the electoral commission initially rejected registration with reference to documents that were not submitted on time. However, the lawsuit against this decision was successful, so that the party was subsequently registered. During the election campaign, the party presented itself as a representative of the economy and a supporter of the government, the main campaign slogan was Kyrgyzstan is in my heart .
Butun Kyrgyzstan
The Butun Kyrgyzstan party narrowly missed entering parliament in the 2015 election in alliance with the Emgek party. The party belongs to the right-wing political spectrum and is considered nationalistic . The party enjoys strong support especially in the Batken region in southern Kyrgyzstan and among supporters of the former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev .
Respublika
The Respublika party ran in the previous election in alliance with the nationalist Ata-Shurt , but missed the goal of becoming the strongest force in the Kyrgyz parliament. The party was considered weakened after the break of the alliance with Ata-Shurt in November 2016 and the withdrawal of long-time party chairman Ömürbek Babanov , but reappeared in the parliamentary elections as a business-friendly alternative.
Result
The Central Election Commission announced the following preliminary results the day after the election:
| Political party | be right | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | % | number | +/- | |
| Birimdik | 487.685 | 24.5% | 46 | +46 |
| Mekenim Kyrgyzstan | 475,372 | 23.88% | 45 | +45 |
| Kyrgyzstan Party | 174,317 | 8.76% | 16 | -2 |
| Butun Kyrgyzstan | 141,940 | 7.13% | 13th | +13 |
| Mekenchil | 136.276 | 6.85% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Respublika | 115.288 | 5.79% | 0 | -28 1 |
| Ata Meken | 80.279 | 4.03% | 0 | -11 |
| Yiman Nuru | 66,747 | 3.35% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Bir Bol | 60,305 | 3.03% | 0 | -12 |
| Chon Kazat | 46,568 | 2.34% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Zamandash | 42,862 | 2.15% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Social Democrats of Kyrgyzstan | 42,460 | 2.13% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Reforma | 32,795 | 1.65% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Meken Yntymagy | 12,468 | 0.63% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Ordo | 4,395 | 0.22% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Party of Veterans of the Afghan War | 3,459 | 0.17% | 0 | ± 0 |
| Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan | - | - | 0 | -38 |
| Onuguu Progress | - | - | 0 | -13 |
| Rejection of all parties | 35,714 | 1.79% | - | - |
1 Respublika ran in 2015 in alliance with the Ata Schurt party
Protests after the election, liberation of the imprisoned ex-president
After the election there were massive protests against the election results on the part of the opposition, also with reference to the possibility of buying votes. This protest was expressed in the formal non-recognition of the result by leading opposition politicians and in demonstrations in central locations in the capital Bishkek. According to reports, protesters subsequently occupied the headquarters of the Kyrgyz government in the capital Bishkek and freed ex-president Almasbek Atambayev , a member of the SDPK , from a prison run by the Kyrgyz secret service KNB .
International reactions
Election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe spoke of inconsistencies and considered allegations that votes may have been bought. A number of civil society organizations, international observers and political parties, including parties that will be represented in the next parliament, also raised concerns about the irregularities reported during the electoral process. The US Mission called on the Kyrgyz authorities to investigate the alleged election violations.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kyrgyzstan election: Sunday's results annulled after mass protests . In: BBC News . October 6, 2020 ( bbc.com [accessed October 6, 2020]).
- ↑ OSCE, ODIHR (ed.): ODIHR needs assessment mission report . Warsaw August 14, 2020, p. 1-3 .
- ↑ The Capture of Atambayev And What It Means For Kyrgyz Politics. Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Florian Coppenrath: Kyrgyzstan: 16 parties take part in the parliamentary elections in October. In: Novastan German. September 11, 2020, accessed on October 6, 2020 (German).
- ↑ 2020 Parliamentary Elections in Kyrgyzstan: Scene and Developments. In: CABAR.asia. September 11, 2020, accessed October 6, 2020 (UK English).
- ^ OCCRP, Kloop, RFE / RL's Radio Azattyk, and Bellingcat: A Powerful Kyrgyz Clan's Political Play. Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Kyrgyzstan set for election as vote-buying fears rise. October 1, 2020, accessed on October 6, 2020 .
- ↑ OSCE (ed.): OSCE / ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report . 1st edition. Warsaw January 28, 2016, p. 25 .
- ^ Butun Kyrgyzstan (United Kyrgyzstan). Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
- ↑ No Coronavirus Postponement And No Front-Runners So Far In Kyrgyz Elections. Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Kyrgyzstan: Where electioneering fantasies and harsh reality meet | Eurasianet. Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Preliminary results of Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary elections as of 3.03 pm Oct 5. Retrieved October 5, 2020 .
- ^ Pro-presidential parties dominate Kyrgyzstan parliamentary vote. Retrieved October 5, 2020 .
- ↑ DER SPIEGEL: Kyrgyzstan: demonstrators apparently storm the seat of government and free ex-presidents - DER SPIEGEL - politics. Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
- ^ Statement on the Parliamentary Elections in the Kyrgyz Republic. Retrieved October 6, 2020 .
