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Kyrgyzstan's Democratic Experiment
On June 27, 2010 Kyrgyzstan adopted a new constitution via nationwide referendum. Introducing a new or revised governing charter was nothing new for the Central Asian republic—they have seen many since their independence in 1991. This new constitution, however, ushered in a new era for the country as it established a parliamentary system that would allow power to be decentralized and shared among different political parties.
News & Updates
Feature
Unprecedented Steps to Address Kenya's 2007-08 Election Violence
In this podcast, Lisa Kammerud, IFES research officer specializing in election violence monitoring, tells us what these developments mean for Kenya and the prosecution of electoral violence in general.
News & Updates
Feature
Kyrgyzstan Votes to Adopt a New Constitution
On Sunday, 27 June 2010 Kyrgyzstan held a referendum to consider adopting a new constitution. The referendum, administered by a new (interim) Central Election Commission (CEC), was held just 80 days after the violent overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and just weeks after a violent ethnic clash between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the south of the country. With a near 70% turnout, voters overwhelmingly approved changes to the constitution affecting the electoral system, the separation of powers, the judicial system, human rights, and local self-government. With the changes Kyrgyzstan is set to become Central Asia’s first parliamentary republic, though the serious work of implementation lay ahead.
News & Updates
Interview/Speech/Testimony
Insight into the ICC’s Investigation of Election Violence in Kenya
Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court ( ICC) arrived in Kenya to begin investigating the election violence following the December 2008 election. The bloodshed left at least 1,100 dead and over 300,000 persons displaced.
Publication
Report/Paper
Understanding the Proposed Kyrgyz Parliament
On April 26, 2010, the Interim Government of Kyrgyzstan, which took control of the country following early April protests that drove former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev from office, unveiled a new draft constitution that will be finalized and officially presented on May 20. A referendum will take place in June 27 in which the population will be able to vote “yes” or “no” in favor of adopting this new charter.
May 15, 2010
Publication
Report/Paper
Media, Elections and Political Violence in Eastern Africa: Towards a Comparative Framework
A comparative report on post-election violence in Eastern Africa has been released by the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford, the Center for Global Communications Studies at the Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania, and the Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research.
December 02, 2009
Publication
Report/Paper
Kenya Inquiry Commission Adopts IFES Recommendations
An Independent Review Committee led by retired South African judge Johann Kriegler reported last week that the 2007 elections in Kenya that unleashed a wave of violence were so badly flawed that it is impossible to know who won. IFES studied the 2007 election process and delivered its findings to the seven-member Kriegler commission. Many of the IFES recommendations were adopted in Kriegler’s final report.
September 27, 2008
Publication
Report/Paper
Ethnic Divisions and Electoral System Design: Prospects for Reform in Kenya
In "Ethnic Divisions and Electoral System Design: Prospects for Reform in Kenya", Shane McGee, IFES' 2008 William and Kathy Hybl Democracy Studies Fellow, suggests that a country with deep ethnic cleavages like Kenya would greatly benefit from shifting its electoral system from a plurality to a mixed-member system.
July 09, 2008
Publication
Report/Paper
Islamic Movements and Democracy in Central Asia: Integration or Isolation?
This paper, presented at the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy’s 9th Annual Conference in Washington, DC, addresses the present state of Islamic political movements in the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with focus on state and non-state actors.
June 11, 2008
News & Updates
Press Release
IFES Expert Available to Discuss Kenya Crisis
Kenyans are bracing for a new round of violence this week with planned street protests by the opposition and a political showdown as parliament reconvenes.