Kyrgyzstan to hold constitution referendum on April 11
BISHKEK. March 11 (Interfax) - Members of the Kyrgyz parliament have adopted a bill in the third and final reading, scheduling a referendum on the country's new constitution for April 11, the parliament press service told Interfax.
Ninety-four MPs in Kyrgyzstan's 120-strong parliament approved a bill on a referendum on a new constitution on April 11 in the second and third readings at a parliamentary session on Thursday morning, the press service said.
Thus, the referendum will take place simultaneously with local elections.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree on February 8 to hold local elections on April 11.
On February 17, the Kyrgyz parliament began debating a new draft constitution, which proposes the country's transition to a presidential form of government, the establishment of the People's Assembly, and a reduction of the number of parliamentarians to 90 from the current 120.
The draft new constitution states that the same Kyrgyz president can lead the country for no more than two five-year terms. According to the current Kyrgyz constitution, the head of state is elected for a term of six years, but cannot be elected twice.
The draft constitution states that the president determines the structure and composition of the government, the activities of the government headed by the prime minister are provided by the presidential executive office. The prime minister, in turn, heads the presidential executive office.
The draft also proposes that the Constitutional Chamber be withdrawn from the Supreme Court, setting up the Kyrgyz Constitutional Court.