BISHKEK (TCA) — On October 26, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev signed a decree on the resignation of the Government after the parliamentary majority coalition had officially announced its collapse earlier that day. The ruling coalition of four parliamentary factions — pro-presidential Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK), Kyrgyzstan, Onuguu-Progress, and Ata Meken, was formed on November 2, 2015.
According to the law, the Government resigns after the collapse of the parliamentary majority coalition and the Cabinet members shall serve until a new Cabinet is formed by a new parliamentary majority.
President Atambayev has given the SDPK faction a mandate to form a new coalition, which is expected to include SDPK, Kyrgyzstan, and Respublika – Ata-Jurt (RAJ), while other parliamentary factions will remain in opposition.
Minor Government changes
The decision to withdraw from the majority coalition was taken very seriously, and it was preceded by heated discussions, SDPK leader MP Isa Omurkulov said. “We understood that such decisions would lead to the resignation of the Government; that is bad for the economy but it was impossible to work in such conditions,” he explained.
The Government is expected to change, given that the coalition majority changes, and there will be changes in the quotas of factions, Omurkulov told reporters. Most likely, Sooronbai Jeenbekov will remain as prime minister, he added.
According to experts, Education and Science Minister Elvira Sarieva, Justice Minister Jyldyz Mambetalieva, Agriculture Minister Turdunazir Bekboev, Healthcare Minister Talantbek Batyraliev, State Border Guard Service Chairman Abdikarim Alimbaev, and head of the State Defense Committee Marat Kenzhisariev would lose their posts.
Opposition accuses
Onuguu-Progress leader Bakyt Torobaev accused the SDPK and Kyrgyzstan factions of the failure to comply with partnership conditions in the majority coalition. These fractions did not consider suggestions of Onuguu-Progress concerning proposed constitutional amendments, although Onuguu-Progress supported the idea of changing the Constitution. The faction put forward 15 suggestions but none of them was taken into account. Coalition members have never met to discuss the amendments to the Constitution, Torobaev added.
He also criticized the current Government structure. In his opinion, the newly established National Energy Holding and State Committee for Information Technology and Communications are ineffective.
The parliamentary decisions were made not in the coalition, but in another place, so the coalition worked inefficiently, said Torobaev. “If a new coalition is created, all decision should be made inside the coalition. Then both the Parliament and the country will be strong,” he concluded.
Babanov ready to unite with SDPK
The collapse of the coalition occurred unexpectedly as it was expected to occur after the referendum on constitutional amendments, Respublika – Ata-Jurt leader and ex-Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov told journalists on Tuesday.
Some MPs and the media have not excluded the possibility of nominating Babanov for Prime Minister. Commenting on this issue, he said it is up to the coalition, and it is not ethical to discuss it now.
The Respublika – Ata-Jurt faction is ready to hold talks with the SDPK on the establishment of a new majority coalition, Babanov said, adding that the coalition building is not a matter of life and death, and it is possible to remain in the opposition and continue working efficiently.
If RAJ joins the new coalition, it will insist on changes in the Government structure that should be reduced, Babanov said.
To form a new, strong coalition, it is important that the parties’ programs match each other. RAJ and SDPK have many common views on many issues compared to other parties, Babanov said.
SDPK leader Isa Omurkulov also believes that the new coalition should consist of like-minded people in order to be stable. The current Government is stepping down because of the weak coalition, he believes.
Opinions
The creation of the new parliamentary majority coalition will be held as quietly and uneventful as the disintegration of the old one, ex-MP Omurbek Abdrakhmanov told Vesti.kg. The Government would remain almost unchanged because it had been formed by the ruling SDPK faction.
As the constitutional referendum and the winter approach, the Parliament should not change the Prime Minister and Speaker, Medetkan Sherimkulov, ex-Speaker of Parliament of the first convocation told Kabar. In his opinion, the public opinion has been successfully diverted from the main issue – holding of the referendum to amend the Constitution. Now the SDPK has no other option but to form a new coalition with RAJ, which has long been knocking at the coalition’s door.
It is possible that there is an agreement between SDPK and Babanov, who could become the next prime minister and in the future could be considered a serious contender for the presidency, political analyst Mars Sariev said.
The fact that the coalition collapsed due to the exit of its main faction is unique, because those that disagree with the general policy usually leave the coalition, analyst Naryn Aiyp said. If the ruling party faction quits the coalition, that means it is not able to pursue a coordinated policy and is not convincing.
It is rather a political game and that will be proven by a rapid formation of the new coalition and the Prime Minister remaining on his post, Naryn Aiyp said. If that happens and an old-new Government rises “from the ashes”, it will be clear that the ruling party is simply getting rid of unwanted politicians.
