Kyrgyzstan

K

Currency and Trade

Germany, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and China are Kyrgyzstan’s chief purchasers of exports. In addition to electricity, leading export items are unprocessed agricultural products, refined metals, and machinery. Leading sources for imports are Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the United States, and China. Major imports include petroleum and gas, machinery, and processed food. Kyrgyzstan joined with Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan in forming a customs union in 1996 to reduce or eliminate barriers to trade; Tajikistan subsequently became a member as well. In 2000 these five countries broadened the scope of the customs union by founding the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) to coordinate trade policies and promote economic interaction.

In 1993 Kyrgyzstan became the first former Soviet republic in Central Asia to introduce its own currency, the som (37.30 som equal U.S.$1, 2007 average). In 1994 Kyrgyzstan joined a common economic zone established by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for the purpose of deepening regional integration. In response to the initiation of market reforms and government efforts to keep inflation low, Kyrgyzstan has received financial assistance from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In 1998 Kyrgyzstan became the first former Soviet republic to be admitted as a member in the World Trade Organization (WTO), an international body that promotes and enforces trade laws and regulations.

IV

Government of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a democratic, secular republic. Its first post-Soviet constitution was ratified in 1993 after a great deal of public debate. Major constitutional amendments were approved by referendum in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2003. A new constitution was ratified in November 2006, and an amended version of that charter was signed into law in January 2007. After the Constitutional Court ruled that the new constitution was invalid, a new draft constitution was approved by referendum in October 2007. Under the constitution, all citizens age 18 and older are eligible to vote.

A

Executive

The president of Kyrgyzstan acts as head of state. The president is directly elected for a five-year term and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The president appoints the prime minister, with the approval of the legislature, to head the government. The political control of the president has been a major source of contention in Kyrgyzstan, as some political groups have sought to curb presidential powers and strengthen those of the legislature. Under the constitution approved in October 2007, the president has the power to dismiss the government and to directly appoint judges and local government administrators.

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B

Legislature

Kyrgyzstan has a unicameral (single-chamber) legislature, the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council). Under the constitution approved in October 2007, the Jogorku Kenesh comprises 90 members who are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms. In a system of proportional representation, members are chosen through central party lists according to a party’s nationwide vote tally. (Under the 2003 constitution members had been directly elected in a single-constituency system, which awarded seats to candidates receiving the most votes in specific districts.)

C

Judiciary

The judicial system consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Higher Court of Arbitration (which decides legal disputes between businesses), and regional and local courts. The Constitutional Court holds supreme authority in constitutional matters and comprises seven judges, in addition to a chairperson and his or her deputies; its judges are appointed to serve for 15 years. The Supreme Court is the country’s highest court in matters of civil, criminal, and administrative justice; its judges are appointed to serve for 10 years.

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