1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Parliamentary Elections in the Kyrgyz Republic December 1, 2021 On November 28, 2021, the Kyrgyz Republic (commonly known as Kyrgyzstan) held parliamentary elections for the first time since the annulment of a disputed Oct
2、ober 2020 electoral contest that led to unrest and political upheaval. The November 28 elections were the first to take place under a new constitution that significantly bolsters presidential powers at the expense of the legislature and that has drawn criticism both for the manner in which it was ad
3、opted and for weakening checks and balances in the government. Kyrgyzstan has been considered by scholars and nongovernmental organizations as the most democratic country in Central Asia for most of the 30 years since its independence. It is one of 21 countries worldwide that participate in the Hous
4、e Democracy Partnership. However, recent events have raised concerns about the future of democracy and rule of law in the country. In 2021, Freedom House classified Kyrgyzstan as “not free” for the first time in 11 years. Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)