The Constitutional Referendum in Kyrgyzstan (June 27, 2010): Meeting Kyrgyzstani in Bonn

June 27, 2010, I took part in the Referendum. I voted for the new changes in the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, which reduce presidential powers and strengthen democracy. I was surprised to find a Wikipedia article about Kyrgyzstani Constitutional Referendum, 2010 in English. If the Referendum proves to be legitimate -because the opposition groups try to prove the contrary- The Kyrgyz Republic will be the first parliamentary democracy in the whole Central Asian region. In brief,

Under the new constitution, the president will serve a single six-year term in office rather than a maximum of two five-year terms.

The maximum age limit for a serving president will be increased by five years to 70. Roza Otunbayeva will remain interim president until 31 December 2011, but will not be entitled to run for president again.

The number of seats in parliament will increase from 90 to 120. No single political party will be allowed to win more than 65 seats. Nobody will face criminal action for criticising officials. Opposition will no longer need official permission to hold protests outside administrative buildings and central squares across the country.

The Constitutional Court will be abolished and its powers will be transferred to the Supreme Court.

Read the full BBC article here.

The Info Point of the City of Bonn gave a wrong address. So, it took time to find the Außenstelle der Botschaft Kirgisistan (Bonn).

WRONG ADDRESS!!!
Außenstelle der Botschaft Kirgisistan
UBIERSTRASSE 19,
53173 BONN DEUTSCHLAND

RIGHT ADDRESS:
Außenstelle der Botschaft Kirgisistan
Ännchenstraße 61
Bonn
53177
Tel: 0228-36 52 30
Fax: 0228-36 52 30

My friend and I received hearty reception in the Embassy. It took me seconds to cast my vote and hours to get to know the Kyrgyz citizens who travelled to Bonn to vote. The friendly stuff invited us to join the group of the Kyrgyzstaani, who had already cast their votes. Most of them were young males and females, self-identified as Kyrgyz citizens, taking advantage of the comfortable black leather sofas in the room, snacking on nuts, raisins, mini-sandwitches, drinking juices and water, chatting, enjoying each others company... The topics covered were diverse: studying in Germany, plans for future, German and Kyrgyz traditions, culture shock, how snails make sex, how to cook boorsok, etc. Afterwards, we watched football in a local pizzeria. Everyone wanted Germany to win. It was a great game: Germany England (4:1)!

Over the phone, mom told she was doing fine and the local news programs reported no outbreaks of violence, nothing of that kind. On Monday, Aljazeera published a neat report of the Constitutional Referendum in Kyrgyzstan.


When even Russia gave up on us -"Kyrgyzstan could be "second Afghanistan" - Medvedev"- we, the Kyrgyzstani, turned out to be very conscious voters this time:

Bishkek (Jetigen via Aki Press) - According to the "Shailoo" electronic system, as of 21:00 pm Bishkek time number of voted in Kyrgyzstan reached 1 922 295 people out of the total registered voters, 2 767 088.

The percentage of turnout on June 27 referendum peaked at 69.47%.

The referendum vote was closed at 20:00 pm, the system "Shailoo" processing data from the polling stations.
Batken province - voted 140 945 people which is 62.05%.
Bishkek city - voted 264 658 people which is 76.34%.
Jalal-Abad province - voted 291 277 people which is 59.93%.
Issyk-Kul province - voted 195 257 which is 84.96%.
Naryn province - 119 824 people which is 80.16%.
Osh city - 64 363 people which is 51.05%.
Osh province - 352 332 people which is 58.94%.
Talas province - 94 528 people which is 81,91%.
Chui province - 378 486 people representing 82.82%.
MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) - 20 571 people, representing 65.09%.

Accessed at Jetigen Online.

Kyrgyzstan struggles to preserve its sovereignty. Becoming a parliamentary democracy is a considerable step forwards. But pessimism and distrust in authority has become a part of the everyday life. The Referendum is a story of a success, of course, yet the trust in the Kyrgyzstani government is still very weak: the previous political "elite" deliberately ruined the country by exterminating the middle class and nurturing the gap between the rich and poor. I will agree with Erica Marat, a Nonresident Research Fellow with the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center, on the three primary areas, where Kyrgyzstan needs immediate help from the UN and OSCE to stop the violence:

First, the leaders of the Uzbek and Kyrgyz communities in the region, as well as local entrepreneurs and religious leaders, must be engaged in a dialogue to build trust. Second, the capacity of the Kyrgyz police and its military to quell inter-ethnic tensions must be enhanced. Third, public debates engaging experts with various backgrounds must be organized in various media channels. Fortunately, Kyrgyzstan has the necessary preconditions for this sort of intervention – despite the recent bloodshed; it is still the only state in Central Asia with a viable and active political opposition, professional NGOs, and independent journalists.