Kyrgyzstan Can't Find Constitution; Government Resigns

Critics accuse Kyrgyz President Atambayev of consolidating power. Source: Trend News Agency

One month after proposing a new referendum, Kyrgyzstani officials revealed on October 19 that the government could not locate a signed copy of its constitution. The same controversial referendum that prompted this discovery has also caused the collapse of Kyrgyzstan's coalition government.

The Social Democratic party proposed the referendum to “strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s sovereignty and national security.” The referendum was confirmed by the president to occur on December 11. Meanwhile, the opposition argues that the referendum will dangerously upset checks and balances on the prime minister. The Council of Europe has reiterated this concern. According to the Council’s Vienna Commission, this referendum will “negatively impact the balance of powers.”

The Ata-Meken Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, believes the referendum is an attempt to solidify current President Atambayev’s power. They claim he may run for prime minister after his presidential term. Should Atambayev become prime minister, the referendum will increase his influence significantly. The president has denied this, stating that he intends to leave politics so he can work on a musical album.

The signed constitution, however, could not be located when the referendum was proposed. The head of Atambayev’s administration, Farid Niyazov, has now said that “it so happens that [the constitution] has no signature.” This has upset citizens who feel that this demonstrates a fundamental disregard for voters and the rule of law. Additionally, this highlights the ill-functioning state of the current government.

The instability caused by the lost constitution and controversial referendum have led to the collapse of the Kyrgyzstan’s ruling coalition. After feeling insulted by the Ata-Meken party, which criticized the president, the Social Democrats quit the coalition, eliminating its majority in the parliament and forcing the government to resign.

The government will remain unable to function until a new coalition is formed. This is particularly worrying at a time when the country faces economic stagnation and threats from domestic terrorists. Turkey has further hurt the situation by warning Kyrgyzstan of a potential Gülenist coup attempt in the country.