Kyrgyzstan to hold parliamentary elections in November

Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov has signed a decree setting the date for elections of deputies to the country's parliament on Nov. 28, the Presidency Press Center said Sunday in a statement.

The president has the authority to determine the date of parliamentary elections under a constitutional referendum passed in April, it said.

Under the constitution and the new election law, the number of seats in the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council), which constitutes the legislative body of Kyrgyzstan, and the conditions for being elected deputies were revised.

At a meeting in July, the Kyrgyz parliament approved a bill which calls for the reduction of parliamentarians from 120 to 90, with 54 to be elected on the basis of proportional representation (political party candidate list), and 36 on the basis of a majority (independent candidates).

The deputies will be elected for a term of five years.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Following parliamentary elections on Oct. 4 last year, demonstrators stormed the parliament and other buildings and clashed with police, demanding new elections.

In response, the election authority annulled the election results, and President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who had been ruling the country for three years, resigned.

While parliament's mandate was extended, presidential elections and a constitutional referendum were held.

The people of Kyrgyzstan elected Sadyr Japarov as president, and in the constitutional referendum, they gave up the parliamentary system and preferred the presidential system.