A new parliament will be elected today in the Central Asian former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan on the border with China.
November 30, 2025, 07:58November 30, 2025, 07:58
Around 4.3 million voters will elect the 90 deputies of the People’s Assembly called Dzhogorku Kengesh. The vote was necessary because the previous parliament voted for its early dissolution in September – officially in order to avoid scheduling conflicts with the presidential election planned for early 2027. But observers also see the maneuver as an attempt by President Sadyr Jabarov to further consolidate his power.
In Kyrgyzstan, a good seven million people live in an area of almost 200,000 square kilometers.Image: Shutterstock
Like most of its neighbors, Kyrgyzstan is a poor country. In contrast to these other authoritarian states, the republic was for a time considered a “model democracy” in Central Asia. Changes in power were frequent, although sometimes forced by violent street protests.
Restructuring of the state apparatus, persecution of the opposition
Jabarov, who came to power after a coup following a scandal-ridden parliamentary election in autumn 2020, has been restructuring institutions since taking office. The president’s power has increased significantly under his leadership.
In addition, the system is increasingly showing authoritarian traits: several critical media outlets were banned as extremist in the run-up to the election. Media freedom is declining rapidly, said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which sent election observers to the republic despite its criticism. Ten well-known opposition figures recently ended up in prison, including the son of ex-President Almazbek Atambayev, Kadyrbek Atambayev, who lives in exile in Spain. They are accused of attempting to organize mass unrest after the election.
The government also frightened civil society with a law on foreign representatives. The innovation is inspired by the Russian Foreign Agents Act, which strictly controls non-governmental organizations (NGOs). However, enforcement in Kyrgyzstan has not yet been rigorous. “The withdrawal of USAID had more serious consequences for the NGOs,” said Philipp Jahn, office manager of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Bishkek. The US development aid organization USAID was dismantled under President Donald Trump. Many organizations lack important subsidies for their work.
Parties booted out
Jabarov also redesigned the electoral system. Now that only direct candidates are running, parties are unlikely to play a role in politics. Observers estimate that future MPs’ dependence on the president will become even greater. In the previous parliament there were at least individual critics of Jabarov.
In recent years, the head of state has presented himself primarily as a fighter against corruption. The high-profile appearances are well received by many Kyrgyz people. The trust is also based on a significant economic upswing. This year the government expects growth of nine percent.
Jabarov can point to growth
Of course, the growth is at least partly due to the Russian war in Ukraine: Kyrgyzstan was able to establish itself as an intermediary for many goods that no longer come directly to Russia. Because hundreds of thousands of Russians are at the front, the demand for Kyrgyz guest workers is unbroken. And because of the turbulent times, the price of gold has risen significantly. Gold mining is an important part of Kyrgyzstan’s economy.
However, two problems have become worse as a result: the cost of living has risen significantly and the energy crisis that has been latent for years has become acute. Power outages are becoming more frequent. But a new revolt over this is not in sight – at least at the moment. (sda/dpa)