Kyrgyzstan Faces Possible Early Parliamentary Elections Amid Calls for Dissolution
Photo: Pixabay, illustrative purposes
The Kyrgyz Parliament may dissolve itself in the coming weeks, opening the way for snap elections a year earlier than planned, Orda.kz reports.
While parliamentary elections are officially scheduled for November 2026, deputies are now gathering signatures to initiate self-dissolution. If approved, early elections could take place as soon as November 2025.
Why Now?
Supporters of the move argue it would ease the electoral calendar, since parliamentary and presidential elections are currently set only months apart. In an interview with Radio Azattyk, Central Election Commission Chair Tynchtyk Shainazarov said holding both campaigns so close together would create “a serious organizational burden.”
Former Prime Minister Felix Kulov also backed the initiative:
"I have repeatedly suggested holding elections at least a year earlier. This is not politics, but logic. Parliament would be wise to dissolve itself."
Analysts point out that the current Jogorku Kenesh no longer reflects the country’s administrative map following territorial reforms.
Kanatbek Aziz of the Research Institute of Geopolitics and Strategy noted:
"This is the logical conclusion of its political cycle. Parliament has fallen behind reforms and must now give way to a new configuration."
New Election Rules
If dissolution proceeds, the vote will be held under updated electoral legislation:
- The number of deputies remains 90, divided across 30 multi-member constituencies
- At least one woman must be elected from each district
- Citizens can vote at any polling station, regardless of residence
- Both party-affiliated and independent candidates may run
- The changes aim to refresh parliament’s composition and broaden representation
Political Context
According to Igor Shestakov, head of the Center for Expert Initiatives "Oi Ordo," the initiative is not spontaneous but a continuation of broader political restructuring.
There have been persistent conversations about the current Jogorku Kenesh dissolving itself, both in the corridors of parliament and outside of it, since about the fall of 2023, he explained.
He emphasized that the current parliament, elected in 2021, was born amid political turbulence following the October 2020 protests, the resignation of President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and the rise of Sadyr Japarov.
"Formally, we were already living in the conditions of a presidential republic, but the parliament itself essentially remained a product of the parliamentary model — with a focus on political parties."
Now, Shestakov argues, the aim is to synchronize institutions with Kyrgyzstan’s new presidential system.
Most likely, a certain reformatting of the political field of Kyrgyzstan is underway. If we take into account that Japarov will run for the new presidential elections again — this is most likely the case — then this will already be a team of people's representatives for new political and economic reforms that the newly elected president will implement.
He also underlined that the new electoral rules, including the female quota, still need time to be understood by voters:
"The Jogorku Kenesh must have a female face. Although women are represented now, but not in such numbers."
Finally, Shestakov warned that low turnout remains a systemic issue.
Referring to the 2024 local elections, he noted:
"It seemed that either their relatives, or their acquaintances, or party comrades voted for the candidates. The turnout was 30%. The refrigerator won over the TV."
Original Author: Maria Kravtsova
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