In Kyrgyzstan, early parliamentary elections without parties or real opposition

Kyrgyzstan votes on Sunday in early parliamentary elections in this former Soviet republic in Central Asia, in which political life was the most democratic and active in the region until President Sadyr Japarov came to power and marginalised his opponents.

The approximately 4.3 million voters are invited until 2 p.m. GMT to choose between 467 independent candidates for 90 seats, at least 30 of which are reserved for women.

The results will be difficult to interpret in the absence of political parties in this election, in line with the measures taken by leader Sadyr Japarov to strengthen the executive branch at the expense of Parliament.

Long considered the most open country in a region dominated by authoritarian regimes, Kyrgyzstan has experienced three revolutions since its independence from the USSR in 1991 (2005, 2010, 2020), the last of which brought President Sadyr Japarov to power.

‘From now on, you will only see coups in your dreams,’ Mr Japarov said in early November, adding that he was ‘certain to win with 90% of the vote’ if he ran for president in 2027.

Under Mr Japarov, who highlights economic progress, several NGOs denohave denounced a deterioration in freedom of expression and the press.

A few days before the election, ten opposition candidates were arrested, adding to the long list of politicians and journalists accused of attempted coups.

On Sunday, the leader praised the automation of voting. ‘The three coups (...) were all linked to elections, presidential or legislative. That is why we have automated the process as much as possible and sought to eliminate the human factor as much as possible,’ Mr Japarov said.

Disappearance of parties

A Kyrgyz soldier votes in early parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan near the capital Bishkek on 30 November 2025. AFP Vyacheslav OSELEDKO

The country officially has 329 parties, but only one, pro-Japarov, is participating in the parliamentary elections, compared to 16 in 2020, due to a change in the electoral system sought by the president, which weakens their role.

‘Where there are no strong parties, where voters vote based on the identity of the candidates, this does not lead to any political development,’ Emil Djouraïev, a professor at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, told AFP.

‘Without a systemic organisational force or mechanism, such as a political party,’ it is more difficult for society to ‘organise itself’, “debate” and ‘mobilise citizens around different visions for the country's development,’ according to the political scientist.

In the future parliament, ‘the ideological dominance of the presidential team makes it very unlikely that alternative visions will emerge among MPs, and especially that they will organise themselves into groups,’ said Mr Djouraïev.

‘This leads to a strengthening of presidential power in Kyrgyzstan. Because Parliament, as a counterweight, is reduced, if not to nothing, then at least to a very limited role,’ according to the expert.

A young population, also in Russia

Voting during early parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan near the capital Bishkek, 30 November 2025 AFP Vyacheslav OSELEDKO

Around two-thirds of Kyrgyzstan's approximately 7 million inhabitants are under 35 and have no experience of the Soviet Union, of which Kyrgyzstan was a part.

However, ties with the former Russian colonial power remain strong, despite a clear affirmation of local identity: Russian is the official language and Kyrgyzstan remains a close ally of the Kremlin.

Economically, remittances from the hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz working in Russia account for about a quarter of GDP, according to the World Bank.

‘In Kyrgyzstan, because of low wages, everyone emigrates. The authorities should try to increase them. Factories should be built to create jobs, and then it will be possible to work here,’ Daniel Medetbek Ououlu, a 20-year-old student, told AFP.

In addition, at least dozens of Kyrgyz recruited by Moscow to fight in Ukraine have been killed on the front lines, according to local media reports based on publicly available data.

[Source: TV5Monde - Translated by EDGEnews]