Kyrgyzstan government

Kyrgyzstan’s government, long known as Central Asia’s most democratic, is becoming less and less transparent — and the country’s once-active civil society appears unconcerned.

Japarov selected another Japarov (no relation) to head the new Cabinet of Ministers.

On the back of its October 2020 upheaval and the ensuring political drama, Kyrgyzstan fell into the “not free” category with the rest of the region.

Sadyr Japarov’s rise to power and a return to presidentialism demonstrate the limits of democracy promotion in Kyrgyzstan.

In addition to electing Sadyr Japarov to the presidency, Kyrgyz voted by a huge margin to shift back to a strong presidential government system. 

When asked in early December which politicians they trusted, 48 percent of surveyed Kyrgyz said Sadyr Japarov -- 31 percent said they trusted no politicians.

With new presidential elections set for January and parliamentary elections sometime before June 2021, the debate over what kind of government Kyrgyzstan should have is critical.