The Formal Constitutional Situation: The Importation Of Constitutional Life In Kyrgyzstan
The Formal Constitutional Situation
Constitutional life in Kyrgyzstan has been rather eventful in light of the relatively little time that has passed since independence. The country has witnessed the introduction of two new constitutions and several constitutional amendments.
The Akayev Era (1991–2005): The 1993 Constitution and Its Amendments
According to the 1993 charter presidential powers, enumerated in art. 46, included determining the structure of the government, the appointment and dismissal of the prime minister (and the government), veto powers, decree powers, the right to initiate referenda. The government was considered the ‘supreme body of executive power’ (art. 70), but its work was ‘monitored’ by the president (art. 72) who could also preside its meetings, endowing him with agenda-setting powers. Government appointment, oversight, and dismissal combined with legislative initiative (art. 64) were far from insignificant powers (as the scores in Table 7.4a, b indicate), but the president was confronted with a parliament endowed with the right to ‘determine the directions of domestic and foreign policy’ (art. 58.4). Members of parliament also had the right to initiate legislation, something which the constitution also granted to the government, the Supreme Court, and ordinary citizens …show more content…
There were other changes, apparently less connected to the formal power of the president and yet relevant to understanding the balance of power, such as the structure and size of the parliament, which oscillated between a unicameral assembly (1993, 2007, 2010) and a bicameral one (1994). The number of deputies also changed regularly (see Table
Constitutional life in Kyrgyzstan has been rather eventful in light of the relatively little time that has passed since independence. The country has witnessed the introduction of two new constitutions and several constitutional amendments.
The Akayev Era (1991–2005): The 1993 Constitution and Its Amendments
According to the 1993 charter presidential powers, enumerated in art. 46, included determining the structure of the government, the appointment and dismissal of the prime minister (and the government), veto powers, decree powers, the right to initiate referenda. The government was considered the ‘supreme body of executive power’ (art. 70), but its work was ‘monitored’ by the president (art. 72) who could also preside its meetings, endowing him with agenda-setting powers. Government appointment, oversight, and dismissal combined with legislative initiative (art. 64) were far from insignificant powers (as the scores in Table 7.4a, b indicate), but the president was confronted with a parliament endowed with the right to ‘determine the directions of domestic and foreign policy’ (art. 58.4). Members of parliament also had the right to initiate legislation, something which the constitution also granted to the government, the Supreme Court, and ordinary citizens …show more content…
There were other changes, apparently less connected to the formal power of the president and yet relevant to understanding the balance of power, such as the structure and size of the parliament, which oscillated between a unicameral assembly (1993, 2007, 2010) and a bicameral one (1994). The number of deputies also changed regularly (see Table