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Kyrgyzstan’s newly elected parliament convenes for the first time

On Wednesday, Kyrgyzstan's newly elected Jogorku Kenesh convened after a snap election last month that strengthened President Sadyr Zhaparov's control and noted his efforts to suppress dissent.
Last month, Kyrgyzstan held a snap election a year earlier than scheduled, with officials saying the vote was moved to avoid proximity to the 2027 presidential election.
The Kyrgyz Central Election Commission reported turnout at 36.9%, results in one constituency were nullified, prompting a new vote for three seats, and 87 lawmakers were chosen under a new system with 30 constituencies.
Results announced last week showed no opposition candidate won a seat in the Nov. 30 vote, while authorities arrested at least 10 opposition figures, including allies of former President Almazbek Atambayev, as critics described the actions as politically motivated.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote was efficiently run but freedoms are narrowing, while political analysts called the election boring and predictable, viewing the new parliament as a dress rehearsal for the presidential vote.

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