At stake
in this referendum:
- Allowance of the private ownership of land
- Restructuring of seats in Kyrgyzstan's
bicameral parliament
- Change in the government's fiscal
decision-making abilities
- Greater freedom for the media
- Limiting the immunity of deputies in
parliament
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Description
of government structure:
- Kyrgyzstan's bicameral parliament, the Zhogorku
Kenesh, is composed of the Legislative Assembly and the Assembly of People's Representatives.
- The Legislative Assembly currently
consists of 35 members directly elected for five-year terms.
- The Assembly of People's Representatives
currently consists of 70 members directly elected for five-year terms.
|
Description
of the referendum:
- Land Reform: The referendum
introduces the private ownership of land for Kyrgyzstan's citizens.
- Seat Distribution: The referendum
calls for a redistribution of the seats in the bicameral parliament. The number of seats
in the Legislative Assembly are to increase from 35 to 60; the number of seats in the
Assembly of People's Representatives are to decrease from 70 to 45.
- Budget: The referendum calls for the
removal of the right of members of parliament to alter the national budget without the
government's approval.
- Freedom of the Press: The referendum
includes a provision to increase the freedom of Kyrgyzstan's independent media.
- Limitation of Immunity: The
referendum calls for limiting the level of legal immunity currently awarded to deputies in
the parliament. This provision is intended as an anti-corruption measure.
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Results of the Referendum:
- Number of "Yes" Votes:
2,075,899
- Percent of "Yes" Votes:
91.14%
- Number of "No" Votes:
100,592
- Percent of "No" Votes:
4.41%
|
Population
and number of registered voters:
- Population: 4,512,809 (July 1997 est.)
- Number of registered voters: 2,277,592
|
Of Interest:
- The October 1998 referendum was
Kyrgyzstan's third referendum on constitutional changes in the last four years.
- Government opposition groups campaigned
strongly for a "no" vote in the referendum.
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| SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION SYSTEMS (IFES) |
| For additional information:
IFES ElectionGuide Online |
