Part I: Introduction & Background
Kyrgyzstan‟s turn of independence in 1991 was in many ways not a welcome one. The
Soviet Socialist Republic of Khirghizia was the second poorest of all the USSR‟s republics upon
breakup, and a March 1991 referendum saw 88.7% of Kyrgyzstani voters approve a proposal toremain within the Russian Federation.
It was no matter; Askar Akayev became the firstpresident of a new Republic of Kyrgyzstan on August 31, 1991.
A new Constitution wasapproved in 1993, which would be updated in 1996, 2004 and 2007.
Even in 2005, as Akayevwas swept out of power by a coalition of fellow politicians, the 1993 Constitution remained.
wasn‟t until the 2010 riots that chased new President Kurmanbek Bakiev out of power that a
wholly new Constitution was formed.
This new constitution, approved by referendum in July 2010, represents if not a cleanbreak with the past, then certainly a different tack.
While keeping old legislation intact, it movesKyrgyzstan to a parliamentary system where the Prime Minister, not President, is the head of government.
However, this constitution is also a strongly aspirational document, defining
Recurring Themes in the Kyrgyz Revolutions
, Vestnik: The Journal of Russian and AsianStudies (Oct. 20, 2011),
Kyrgyzstan‟s official title is The Kyrgyz Republic. The region was incorporated into the Russian Empire as
Kirgizia, was known as the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the USSR, and announced its 1991independence as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. It changed its name to the Kyrgyz Republic in 1993. An alternativetransliteration is Khirghizstan, which can still be found on some documents. For the sake of sorely-neededsimplification, this paper will refer to the country as Kyrgyzstan and its citizens as Kyrgyzstanis.
U.S. Congressional Research Service. “Kyrgyzstan‟s Constitutional Crisis: Context and Implications for U.S.Interests” (RS22546; J
an. 5, 2007), by Jim Nichol. Accessed: Dec. 1, 2011. This 2005 event that took Akayev frompower and installed Kurmanbek Bakiyev in his stead is popularly called the Tulip Revolution.
OSCE observers back Kyrgyzstan referendum,
BBC News (Jun. 28, 2010),
. It should be mentioned that the referendum installing the new Constitution took place during ethnic clashes inthe south of the country that saw nearly 1,000 dead and 100,000-400,000 refugees.
“Where is the Justice?”
,Human Rights Watch (Aug. 16, 2010),
gyzstan‟s Proposed Constitution
, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Jun. 24, 2010),