While the government claims the ruling party’s domination of parliament will make the legislative process more effective, opposition leaders fear the institution’s independence has been fatally undermined.
Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan have been left in a legal twilight zone by contradictory legislation and political pressure.
An apparent landslide victory by the president’s party could leave it controlling all the seats in the legislature.
As a potential crisis looms in Kyrgyzstan over disputed election results, many are wondering whether Omurbek Tekebaev will be able to turn it to his advantage.
In the run-up to parliamentary polls, the president’s men are pulling out all the stops to make sure they get the result they want.
As the election looms, it remains unclear how expatriates’ votes will be counted.
A new requirement set by election officials could make it almost impossible for parties to win seats in parliament.
Politicians from the poorer parties complain that the high cost of TV adverts in the election period makes it impossible to buy their fair share of airtime.
As parties and NGOs accuse the electoral commission of stacking the decks in favour of the president’s party, there are warnings of protests ahead.
Failure of parties to offer voters distinctive policies may result in a low turnout in the weekend parliamentary election.
