Kyrgyzstan: Government

Principal Government Officials

Chief of State: President Roza Otunbayeva
Head of Government: Prime Minister Almaz Atambaev

The 2010 constitution defines the Kyrgyz Republic as a sovereign, democratic, secular, unitary, and social state. The executive branch is headed by the prime minister and government, though the president retains numerous constitutional powers as head of state. The judicial branch comprises a Supreme Court and local courts. The legislative branch is composed of a 120-member unicameral parliament.

President Otunbayeva made the case for the 2010 constitution as an attempt to break with political tradition in Central Asia and limit the excesses of presidentialism in Kyrgyzstan in particular.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
The Kyrgyz Republic maintains close relations with other former Soviet countries, particularly with Kazakhstan and Russia. Recognizing Russia's concerns about the Russian-speaking minority in the Kyrgyz Republic, President Akayev was sensitive to potential perceptions of discrimination. For example, although the 1993 constitution designates Kyrgyz as the state language, an amendment to the constitution in 2001 granted official status to the Russian language. The amended December 30, 2006 constitution reaffirmed the status of the two languages.

While the Kyrgyz Republic initially remained in the ruble zone, stringent conditions set by the Russian Government prompted the Kyrgyz Republic to introduce its own currency, the som, in May 1993. Withdrawal from the ruble zone was done with little prior notification and initially caused tensions in the region. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan temporarily suspended trade, and Uzbekistan even introduced restrictions tantamount to economic sanctions. Both nations feared an influx of rubles and an increase in inflation. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan's hostility toward the Kyrgyz Republic was short-lived, and the three nations signed an agreement in January 1994 creating an economic union. Economic cooperation within the region, though, is still hampered by unilateral barriers created by the Kyrgyz Republic's neighbors. The Kyrgyz Republic has been active in furthering regional cooperation, such as joint military exercises with Uzbek and Kazakh troops.

Turkey has sought to capitalize on its cultural and ethnic links to the region and has found the Kyrgyz Republic receptive to cultivating bilateral relations. The Kyrgyz Republic is a member of the OSCE, the CIS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the WTO, and the United Nations.

Since December 2001, the Kyrgyz Republic has hosted Manas Transit Center, an important logistical hub for the coalition effort in Afghanistan.

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