Monday 11 October 2010

Watch Nationalists take narrow lead in tight Kyrgyz poll

Nationalists take narrow lead in tight Kyrgyz poll
Early results in Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary election show a narrow lead for the opposition nationalist party Ata Zhurt.

The poll was held under a new constitution intended to make the country a parliamentary democrac
Members of its leadership worked under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was ousted in a mass uprising in April.

The pro-government Social Democrats and four other parties passed the 5% mark required to gain seats in parliament.

Continue reading the main story
Kyrgyzstan Turmoil

Uncertain poll a first for region
Desperate flight of ethnic Uzbeks
Kyrgyzstan's anger boils over
Kyrgyzstan vote: 'We need change'
Analysts say no party has an overall majority so parties will have to unite to form a coalition government.

Sunday's election comes just months after 400 people died in inter-ethnic violence in the south of the country.

Turnout was 56% nationwide and even higher in the southern city of Osh, which saw some of the worst of last June's clashes between the Kyrgyz majority and ethnic Uzbeks.

Coalition cabinet
In all, 29 parties are competing for 120 seats in parliament.

Early results suggest that coalition-building will be needed to form a parliamentary majority with the right to select a prime minister.

The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie in Bishkek says the emergence of the Ata Zhurt party as a frontrunner will surprise many in Kyrgyzstan.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis


Rayhan Demytrie
BBC News, Bishkek
The big question now is what kind of coalition will emerge in Kyrgyzstan?

Will it be led by the frontrunner, the nationalist Ata Zurt party which wants to go back to a presidential form of government and shut down the US military base.

One of the party leaders infamously said that no other ethnicity in Kyrgyzstan can be equal to Kyrgyz.

Or will the coalition be led by the Social Democrats, whose leader was one of the top members of Kyrgyzstan's provisional government that came to power following a mass uprising in April.

A lot will depend on the party that came third - Respublika. It might become a kingmaker in this parliamentary vote.

The party has strong backing in the south among ethnic Kyrgyz and it wants to go back to a presidential form of government.

In late June the country approved a new constitution that changed the form of government from a presidential to a parliamentary system.

It followed the ousting of the former president in April.
Coppied by http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11511579

No comments:

Post a Comment