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Kyrgyzstan to hold constitutional referendum in July

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Kyrgyzstan interim deputy leader Omurbek Tekebayev announced Thursday that the country would hold a referendum on a new constitution on July 27. Tekebayev, part of the interim government that took power two weeks ago amid an anti-government uprising, said the new constitution would guarantee a parliamentary republic and reduce the powers of the president in order to prevent authoritarianism. He said the new constitution will also try to prevent powerful parliamentary majorities by limiting any political party to only 50 seats out of a 90-seat parliament. The country's last parliament was controlled by the ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev's Ak-Zhol party. Tekebayev also announced that elections in the country will be held on October 10. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Kyrgyzstan's interim government to begin a comprehensive investigation into the violence between April 6 and 8 that resulted in the overthrow of president Bakiyev. Kyrgyz interim leader Roza Otunbayeva said last week that Bakiyev should stand trial for the recent violence. Despite the pledge to bring Bakiyev and his allies to justice, so far only former defense minister Baktybek Kaliyev has been arrested. The protests, prompted in part by a drastic increase in utility costs, led to at least 84 deaths and many more injuries. Earlier this month, Otunbayeva launched the interim government after the violence forced Bakiyev to flee the capital.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 22, 2010 (boomark / email).