2010 Kyrgyz parliamentary election
Early parliamentary elections were held in Kyrgyzstan on 10 October 2010.[1] All 120 seats of the Supreme Council were elected by the party list system.[2][3] Seats were allocated to all parties who obtained more than 5% of the vote overall and more than 0.5% in each of the nine provinces, capped at 65 seats per party.[4]
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All 120 seats in the Supreme Council 61 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 61.00% ( 10.93 pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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Ata-Zhurt won a plurality of seats, while the ruling Social Democratic Party finished second and Ar-Namys came third.
Background edit
In April 2010, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted, which brought to power an interim government led by Roza Otunbayeva.[5] An election and reform plan was unveiled on 19 April 2010.[6] A referendum in June overwhelmingly approved a reform to turn the country from a presidential system to a parliamentary system.[7] 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 that the first parliamentary democracy in Central Asia could be catastrophic for Kyrgyzstan.[8] 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.[9]
Electoral system edit
In the previous election, there were 90 seats, though this was increased to 120 after the constitutional referendum.[10]
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.[11]
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 Chüy Region.[12]
Campaign edit
Over 3,000 candidates from 29 political parties competed for the 120 seats, with the BBC 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.[13]
Ar-Namys opposed the newly founded parliamentary system and said it would restore the older system of presidential rule.[14] Ata-Zhurt campaigned for the return of Bakiyev[15] 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."[2] A month before election she threatened to introduce a state of emergency, and as a result postpone voting if parties escalated tensions in the country.[16]
Opinion polls edit
It said six parties were expected to exceed the 5% threshold and win seats.[17]
A poll of 1,500 people in late September by Perspectiva showed seven parties crossing the 5% threshold to win seats:
| Party | Leader | Percentage[4][18][19] |
|---|---|---|
| Ata Meken Socialist Party | Omurbek Tekebayev | 14.6% |
| Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan | Almazbek Atambaev | 10.5% |
| Ata-Zhurt | Kamchybek Tashiyev | 9.9% |
| Respublika Party | Omurbek Babanov | 8.7% |
| Akshumkar | Temir Sariyev | 6.9% |
| Ar-Namys | Felix Kulov | 6.9% |
| United Kyrgyzstan | Adakhan 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.[2]
Conduct edit
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.[20] The "Free generation" Liberal Youth Alliance for the first time joined the supervision organization, and young men became target audience.[21] 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!"[22]
The elections were observed by 850 international monitors from 32 organisations, including 300 monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.[2][3] 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."[14] 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."[23]
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."[24] 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.
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 (sic) behind these actions."[25] 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."[3] There were also concerns in the international media of a renewal of ethnic strife that occurred earlier in the year.[26][27]
Results edit
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ata-Zhurt | 257,100 | 15.41 | 28 | New | |
| Social Democratic Party | 237,634 | 14.24 | 26 | +15 | |
| Ar-Namys | 229,916 | 13.78 | 25 | +25 | |
| Respublika | 210,594 | 12.62 | 23 | New | |
| Ata Meken Socialist Party | 166,714 | 9.99 | 18 | +18 | |
| United Kyrgyzstan | 139,548 | 8.36 | 0 | New | |
| Akshumkar | 78,673 | 4.71 | 0 | New | |
| Zamandash | 55,907 | 3.35 | 0 | New | |
| Other parties and against all | 292,785 | 17.54 | 0 | – | |
| Total | 1,668,871 | 100.00 | 120 | 0 | |
| Valid votes | 1,668,871 | 99.35 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 10,839 | 0.65 | |||
| Total votes | 1,679,710 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 2,753,727 | 61.00 | |||
| Source: IFES | |||||
Reactions edit
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.[15]
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."[3]
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."[28] US President Barack Obama congratulated Kyrgyzstan for this "historic" election, and said it proved that the Kyrgyz 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."[29]
Aftermath edit
The result was seen as setting the stage for a fractured legislature without much capacity for decision-making, with Ar-Namys likely to play the role of kingmaker.[14]
Following the election, SDPK, Respublika and Ata-Meken agreed on a coalition in late November.[30] 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 designated speaker in a secret vote).[31]
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,[32] Ata-Zhurt's Akhmatbek Keldibekov was chosen as Speaker of Parliament with 101 to 14 votes[33] and Respublika's Omurbek Babanov would then become Deputy Prime Minister.[34] The new government was approved later on the same day.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan to hold presidential elections in late 2011 – People's Daily Online". English.people.com.cn. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d Kyrgyzstan set for crucial vote. Al Jazeera. 9 October 2010.
- ^ a b c d Kyrgyz storm political party HQ, Al Jazeera, 6 October 2010.
- ^ a b "Factbox: Facts about Kyrgyzstan's election". Reuters. 9 October 2010.
- ^ "Presidential vote in Kyrgyzstan in 6 months: interim leader – People's Daily Online". English.people.com.cn. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ "Kyrgyz Interim Government Unveils Reform Plan To 'return To Democracy'". Rttnews.com. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan's new leaders set October election date". BBC News. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ "No clear winner in Kyrgyzstan poll – Central & South Asia". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan's interim leader Otunbayeva to be president to 2011 [ WORLD BULLETIN- TURKEY NEWS, WORLD NEWS ]". World Bulletin / News from Turkey and Islamic World. Worldbulletin.net. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ Inter-Parliamentary Union. "IPU PARLINE database: KYRGYZSTAN (Jogorku Kenesh), Last elections". Ipu.org. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ "Выборы депутатов Жогорку Кенеша Кыргызской Республики (Russian)". Shailoo. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
- ^ . News.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan set to hold landmark parliamentary election". BBC News. 9 October 2010.
- ^ a b c Vladimir Radyuhin (18 July 2010). "News / International : No clear winner in Kyrgyzstan poll". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ a b . Allvoices.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ "Отунбаева готова ввести чрезвычайное положение, если партии начнут "эскалацию ситуации" (Russian)". Kloop. 7 September 2010.
- ^ Kyrgyzstan goes to polls, The Hindu, 9 October 2010.
- ^ Three parties lead heading into Sunday's Kyrgyz election 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Central Asian Newswire, 8 October 2010.
- ^ В Кыргызстане социологический опрос консорциума «Перспектива» показал, что в парламент проходят шесть партий из 29, участвующих в выборах (Russian), 24.kg, 30 September 2010.
- ^ "В Кыргызстане о намерении проводить независимое наблюдение на парламентских выборах объявили три НПО (Russian)".
- ^ . Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.
- ^ "Parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were "transparent", but with impaired | in Russia and CIS (English)".[permanent dead link]
- ^ . Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ "Opposition Leads in Kyrgyz Elections, No Party Achieves Absolute Majority 11/10/2010". Almanar.com.lb. Retrieved 12 October 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Breaking News, World News and Video from al Jazeera".
- ^ Harding, Luke (10 October 2010). "Uzbek minority still faces persecution as Kyrgyzstan goes to polls". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan votes in landmark poll". BBC News. 10 October 2010.
- ^ Lally, Kathy (12 October 2010). "A nascent democratic step in Kyrgyzstan". The Washington Post.
- ^ http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=157669&language=en[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Three Kyrgyz parties agree to form government - People's Daily Online".
- ^ . Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
- ^ "Breaking News, World News and Video from al Jazeera".
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan Elects Parliament Speaker".
- ^ "Kyrgyz Parties in Coalition Agreement".