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Political Party Development
Party strengthening assistance is a core component of the International Republican Institute's (IRI) programming in the Kyrgyz Republic. Since 2005, IRI’s political party development program has focused on several central objectives:
- Supporting party involvement in political party and electoral reform legislation to ensure a legal structure that supports the development of political parties;
- Strengthening political party organization and management with a special focus on regional offices;
- Helping parties identify issues of concern to voters and build positions that can be incorporated into policy statements and future election campaigns; and
- Supporting youth involvement in political party youth wings.
During the 2005 parliamentary election cycle, IRI assisted parties in building internal resources for election observation and for managing campaigns. IRI drew upon the experience of political parties in Ukraine to assist with this work. Ukrainian party activists traveled to the Kyrgyz Republic to conduct trainings on campaign management, voter outreach and regional party building. In November 2005, IRI accompanied members of five political parties to Ukraine where they learned about the work of regional offices of Ukrainian parties.
Following the 2005 parliamentary elections, IRI began working with parties to help them strengthen branch offices and build and engage membership. IRI also helped establish www.parties.kg, where political parties presented information and web links about their agenda and activities. The web site allows Kyrgyz citizens to learn more about the political parties and their solutions for problems facing the country.
With the adoption of the December 2006 constitution, IRI’s work turned to helping parties prepare a public awareness campaign. IRI conducted intensive trainings on the constitutional changes and their various implications. Popular among IRI’s activities was a series of radio talk shows on the Azattyk radio station, organized by IRI between political party leaders on the new constitution. IRI also organized trips for political party representatives to visit all regions in Kyrgyzstan. During these trips, party representatives from 16 parties held town hall meetings with citizens to discuss and explain the new constitution and possible ramifications. The institute also provided educational resources to improve understanding of the political situation and proposed changes amongst the Kyrgyz citizenry.
To extend its programming throughout south Kyrgyzstan, IRI opened an office in Osh in 2007. The Osh office has allowed IRI to work with regional branches of major political parties throughout the south. These regional branches tend to be more underdeveloped, and the southern demographic less affluent and more ethnically diverse than the north, allowing IRI to have broader impact.
To support youth involvement in politics, IRI also undertook an innovative training project, New Generation of Creative Politicians. The goal of this project was to help youth develop the necessary skills to participate in political party work and public life. During the culminating session of the project, skills emphasized included message development, debating, and rallying support. Split into two teams, participants constructed their own political party and competed for the title of “The best political party.” Each party developed a political message, participated in debates with other parties and introduced its political programs to a group of voters. Finally, the parties developed a party symbol. At the end, participants and organizers voted for the party they considered to be the best. The seminar endowed participants with a sense of ownership and responsibility in the process, as well as creating a skill base from which participants can build on when furthering their own learning in the future.
In anticipation of early parliamentary elections in December 2007, IRI hosted extensive campaign trainings, with volunteer experts from Ukraine. As these elections were the first all party-list elections for Kyrgyzstan, the Ukrainian experience was particularly applicable. In addition to crucial campaign training, IRI trained party observers to fulfill their duties on Election Day, and distributed copies of election-related materials.
Public Opinion Polling
In April 2005, IRI conducted the country's first nationwide poll of 1,500 respondents in advance of the July 10, 2005 pre-term presidential election. The poll focused on identifying issues that were most important to various voter groups and on trust in elections.
In March 2006, IRI conducted a similar nationwide voter survey to gauge voter attitudes about government achievements in the last year, awareness of the constitutional referendum on the country's future form of government, as well as corruption. Top issues remained unemployment, economic development and corruption.
The May 2007 poll was IRI’s fourth poll in the Kyrgyz Republic. In contrast to the previous polls in 2005 and 2006, the May poll focused more on political parties, with close to 20 percent of the questions pertaining specifically to parties and their work. This was the first time that polling with detailed questions on political parties had been done in Kyrgyzstan.
The poll was conducted in this manner to underscore IRI’s central goal of supporting political parties, especially at a time when constitutional reforms would give parties at least half of the seats in parliament as well as a role in the formation and firing of the government.
The most recent poll, conducted in advance of early December 16, 2007 elections, gathered important data to assist political parties during the campaign period. IRI hosted poll results presentations, and worked closely with political parties on message development and public relations techniques, focusing on responsiveness to the electorate.
IRI shares poll results with government officials, political parties and nongovernmental organizations to assist them in understanding public attitudes and opinions related to political and economic conditions and policies.
Parliament of Political Parties
IRI supports the Parliament of Political Parties (PPP), a voluntary group that brings together 15 political parties with the goal of helping them disseminate information on their parties and advance key legislation. In advance of the adoption of a new election code, the PPP prepared recommendations for changes to the election code and distributed them to the Central Election Commission and to 75 members of parliament.
The PPP’s working groups focus on a variety of topics, including education about the new constitution, election code reform, political party law revisions and PPP public relations.
By supporting education on the December 2006 constitution, IRI continued work that began in December 2005, when President Bakiev signed a decree calling on the government to conduct a public education campaign on the country's future form of government. To help with this massive effort, IRI and the PPP took a leading role in developing and presenting "forms of government" materials and seminars for political parties, the media and a special constitutional commission appointed by President Bakiev.
Recent Program Highlights
Fall/Winter 2007
- Local elections to the Osh city council; consultations for candidates from political parties; election campaign trainings and trainings for party observers
- National public opinion poll
- Central Election Commission – IRI conference for representatives of political parties
- Consultations on the new election code
- Campaign trainings for parties in advance of December 16, 2007 parliamentary elections
Spring/Summer 2007
- Youth project New Generation of Creative Politicians
- Azattyk radio shows – informing the public about political parties and party positions on the new constitution
- Country-wide public awareness campaign on constitutional reform and role of political parties
- National public opinion poll in May
- Seminar for political party youth wings in the south
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On August 19, 1991, the entire bureau and secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union resigned. This was followed by the Supreme Soviet vote declaring independence from the Soviet Union on August 31, 1991.
Unexpectedly, on September 14, 2007, a constitutional court ruling invalided the standing constitution, and President Bakiev announced a referendum on a new constitution and election code to be held on October 21, 2007. With practically no time to prepare for the referendum, and a loose understanding of the new constitution and election code among the Kyrgyz citizenry, the referendum was passed with 80 percent support amidst widespread reports of fraud. The new constitution reintroduced stronger powers to the president.
