16 December 2007 2010 → 1,228,319 55,651 Start date December 16, 2007 | 71 11 46.99% 5.05% | |
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Winner Igor Chudinov | ||
Early parliamentary elections were held in Kyrgyzstan on 16 December 2007. The election was called by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev after the constitutional referendum on 21 October 2007 approved a new electoral system and constitutional reform proposals, enlarging the parliament to 90 MPs and introducing party-list voting.
Contents
Campaign
Twenty-two parties filed to run in the election, but some reconsidered and six were rejected by the authorities, including Taza Koom ("Clean Society"). Thus the following parties contested the election:
Controversy
On 28 November 2007, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev from the Social Democratic Party resigned and Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev became Acting Prime Minister until the election; the resignation was reportedly over differences between Atayev and Bakiyev.
To enter parliament, a party had to pass two thresholds:
Results
According to preliminary results based on 81% of the polling stations, turnout was over 60%, but no party apart from Ak-Zhol had managed to pass both thresholds. Ak-Zhol reportedly received 47.8% of the vote. Ata-Menken received 9.3% of the vote nationwide, but failed the regional thresholds in three regions. Ak-Zhol therefore appeared to be the only party to enter parliament. International monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe heavily criticised the election. Monitors from the Commonwealth of independent States, however, claimed the election met democratic standards. Later results showed that two other parties, the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, narrowly managed to pass the national threshold.
The Supreme Court overturned the second, regional threshold two days after the vote (thus potentially broadening parliamentary representation from three to four different parties). Final results are expected to be announced on by the end of December.
According to the central electoral commission, Ak-Zhol received 71 seats, the Social Democratic Party received 11 seats and the Communist Party received 8 seats. It is unclear whether the CEC is ignoring or reinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling which would entitle the Ata-Menken party to seats despite failing to win at least 0.5% of the vote in all seven regions and two cities. The newly elected parliament convened on 21 December 2007 for the first time and will have to confirm a new government before 1 January 2008.
According to officials, Ate-Menken failed to gain the necessary votes in Osh, yet party activists claimed to have proof of having attained more than the necessary votes.