We, the people of Kyrgyzstan,
© Oxford University Press, Inc.
Translated by Max Planck Institute
We, the people of Kyrgyzstan,
Paying tribute to the memory of heroes who rendered life for freedom of the people;
Confirming adherence to the goal to build free and democratic state based on respect and protection of human rights;
Expressing unwavering commitment and firm will to develop and enhance the Kyrgyz statehood, protect state sovereignty and the unity of the people;
Aspiring to strengthen the rule of law as well as ensure social justice, economic welfare and spiritual development of the people;
Acting on behest of our ancestors to live in peace and accord, in harmony with nature, hereby adopt the present Constitution.
The elections of the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh, of the President and of the members of the representative local government bodies shall take place on the basis of universal equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
The right to vote shall be granted to all citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic having reached 18 years of age.
The state power in the Kyrgyz Republic shall be based on the following principles:
The provisions of international treaties on human rights shall have direct effect and shall enjoy precedence over provisions of other international treaties.
Confiscation of property against the will of the owner shall be allowed only upon decision of a court.
Forced confiscation of property without the decision of a court shall be allowed in cases stipulated by law, for the purposes of protecting national security, public order, protection of health and morale of the population as well as protection of rights and freedoms of other persons. The legality of such confiscation shall be subject to mandatory review in court.
The alienation of property for public needs defined in the law may be carried out upon the decision of a court ensuring prior and equitable compensation for the value of such property as well as for other losses incurred as a result of such alienation.
Land may also be in private, municipal and other forms of ownership except for pastures which may not be in private property.
A state of emergency or martial law in the Kyrgyz Republic may be imposed only in the cases and following the procedures established by the present Constitution and constitutional laws.
Human rights and freedoms are of superior value. They act directly and define the meaning and the content of the activity of legislative, executive power and government bodies.
No one may be subject to discrimination on the basis of sex, race, language, disability, ethnicity, belief, age, political and other convictions, education, background, proprietary and other status as well as other circumstances.
Special measures defined by law and aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for various social groups in accordance with international commitments shall not be considered as discrimination.
Rights and freedoms established in the present Constitution shall not be exhaustive and shall not be interpreted as denial or derogation of other universally recognized human and civic rights and freedoms.
Everyone shall have the right to perform any action and activity except for those prohibited by the present Constitution and laws.
The adoption of by-law regulatory acts which limit human and civil rights and freedoms is prohibited.
Everyone shall have an inalienable right to life. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of life. The death penalty is prohibited.
Enlistment to military or alternative (civilian) service shall not be considered as forced labor.
Anyone detained person should be promptly or in any case until expiration of 48 hours since the moment of detention should be delivered to court in order to decide the issue on the legality of his/her detention.
In certain cases the lay may provide for shorter terms of detention.
Any detained person has the right to review the legality of detention in accordance with the rules and periodicity established by law. In the event that the grounds for detention ceases to be valid, such person should be immediately released.
Prohibition and limitation on conduct of a peaceful assembly shall not be allowed; the same applies to refusal to duly ensure it failing to submit notice on conduct of free assembly, noncompliance with the form of notice, its contents and submission deadlines.
Everyone shall have the right of freedom of association.
Everyone shall have the right to freely determine and state his/her ethnicity. No one may be forced to determine and state his/her ethnicity.
Everyone shall have the right to compensation for any damage caused by illegal acts of state authorities, local government bodies or officials thereof in their official capacity.
The state shall ensure the development of extrajudicial and pre-trial methods, forms and means to protect human and civil rights and freedoms.
Everyone shall have the right to strike.
Everyone shall have the right to receive general basic and secondary basic education in state educational establishments free of charge.
The State shall ensure the preservation of historical monuments as well as other objects of cultural heritage.
The procedure and conditions for granting citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic shall be defined by law.
Citizens shall have the right to return freely to the Kyrgyz Republic.
The decisions taken by the kurultai shall be transmitted to the competent state authorities in the form of recommendations.
The rules governing the holding of kurultai shall be defined by law.
The State shall promote the increase of professional qualification of citizens under a procedure established by the law.
Citizens should pay taxes and dues in cases and pursuant the procedures envisaged by the law.
The organization and activities of the bar as a self-regulated professional community of lawyers as well as the rights, obligations and responsibilities of lawyers shall be defined by the law.
For the purposes of extrajudicial resolution of disputes arising from civil law relations, citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic shall have the right to establish courts of arbitration. The competences, the procedures of establishment and the activity of courts of arbitration shall be defined by the law.
The citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic shall have the right to establish the courts of aksakaly [elders]. The competences, the procedures of establishment and the activity of the courts of aksakaly [elders] shall be defined by the law.
The procedure for presidential elections shall be defined by the constitutional law.
The President shall exercise his/her powers by way of issuing decrees and orders which shall b mandatory for implementation on the entire territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Early presidential elections are conducted within three months period since the termination of powers of the President.
As a result of elections a political party may not be granted more than 65 deputy mandates in the Parliament.
Any citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic who has reached 21 years of age as of the election day and who possesses the electoral right, may be elected as a Deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh.
The procedure of electing the deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh including the establishment of an electoral threshold for passing to the Parliament, shall be defined in the constitutional law.
The faction or a coalition of factions, which has officially announced the creation of coalition of factions in the Jogorku Kenesh and which has over one half of the deputies mandates, shall be considered as parliamentary majority.
The faction or factions which are not part of the parliamentary majority and which have announced their opposition to the latter, shall be considered as parliamentary opposition.
A deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh shall have the right to engage in scientific, teaching or other creative activity.
Early termination of powers of a deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh on the aforementioned grounds shall be executed by a resolution of the Central Commission on Elections and Referendums, which shall be adopted not later than 30 calendar days since the date of accrual of cause.
The deputies of the Toraga of the Jogorku Kenesh shall be elected in the number and in accordance with the procedures to ensure that they are elected from the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh which are part of the parliamentary opposition.
The Speaker (Toraga) of the Jogorku Kenesh shall be accountable to the Jogorku Kenesh and may be dismissed from office by decision adopted by a majority of not less than two thirds of the total number of deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh.
The right of legislative initiative shall lie with:
The laws and decisions shall be adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh by the majority of deputies in attendance but not less than 50 votes of the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh unless the present Constitution provides otherwise.
A law shall enter into force upon the expiry of ten days since its official publication in official media unless there is a contrary provision in the law itself or in the law on the procedure for its entry into force.
The structure of the Government shall include ministries and state committees.
The candidate for the office of the Prime Minister shall submit to the Jogorku Kenesh the program, structure and composition of the Government.
The candidate for the office of the Prime Minister shall submit to the Jogorku Kenesh the program, structure and composition of the Government before expiration of the above time period.
The candidate for the office of the Prime Minister shall submit to the Jogorku Kenesh the program, structure and composition of the Government before expiration of the above time period.
The candidate for the office of the Prime Minister shall submit to the Jogorku Kenesh the program, structure and composition of the Government before expiration of the above time period.
In the event that the President fails to issue the decree on the appointment of the Prime minister and the members of the Government within the above time period, they shall be deemed appointed.
The Prime minister:
Heads of local state administrations are appointed and dismissed from office in accordance with the procedure established by law.
In cases and under the procedures envisaged in the law, the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic shall have the right to participate in the administration of justice.
The Constitutional Chamber shall act as part of the Supreme Court.
Specialized courts may be established by the law.
Creation of extraordinary courts shall not be permitted.
Any interference in the administration of justice shall be prohibited. Persons found guilty of influencing upon a judge shall be liable in accordance with the law.
One and the same person may not be elected Chairperson of the Supreme Court or deputy chairperson for two consecutive terms.
The procedure of electing and dismissing of the Chairperson of the Supreme Court and his/her deputies shall be defined by law.
Judges of local courts shall be appointed by the President upon submission of the Judicial Appointments Committee for an initial term of 5 years and, for subsequent terms, until they reach the age limit. The procedure of nomination and appointment of judges shall be defined in the constitutional law.
The assembly of judges of a local court shall elect from among them the chairperson and deputy chairperson of court for the term of three years.
One and the same person may not be elected the chairperson or deputy chairperson of a local court for two consecutive terms in one and the same court.
The Council of the Judiciary, the parliamentary majority and the parliamentary opposition correspondingly shall elect one third of the composition of the Judicial Appointments Committee.
The funding of courts shall be at the expense of the national budget and should ensure the possibility of full and independent administration of justice.
The Congress of judges shall be the superior body of judicial self regulation.
The Council of the Judiciary shall be the elected body of judicial self regulation which shall perform its functions between the Congresses of judges, shall protect rights and legal interests of judges, shall oversee over the formulation and execution of the budgets of courts, organization of training and re-training of judges, shall consider issues of disciplinary proceedings against judges.
The assembly of judges shall be the primary body of judicial self regulation.
Justice shall be administered free of charge in cases provided for in the law as well as in all cases where the parties to judicial proceedings submit proof that they do not have sufficient means to conduct them.
The office of the Prosecutor shall comprise a unified system with the following competencies:
The National Bank shall supervise over the banking system of the Kyrgyz Republic, determine and conduct monetary and credit policy in the Kyrgyz Republic, determine and implement unified exchange rate policy, possess the exclusive right to issue money and implement various forms and principles of bank funding.
The Central commission on election and referenda shall ensure preparation and conducting elections and referenda in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Chamber of Accounts shall conduct the audit of execution of national and local budgets, off-budgetary funds as well as use of public and municipal property.
The parliamentary oversight of the observance of human and civil rights and freedoms in the Kyrgyz Republic shall be performed by the Ombudsman (Akiykatchy).
The organization and procedures of state authorities indicated in this section as well as guarantees of their independence shall be defined by laws.
A law introducing changes to the Constitution shall be passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the total number of deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh after a minimum of three readings of the bill, with an interval of two months between them.
At the initiative of not less than two thirds of the total number of the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh a law introducing changes to the Constitution may be submitted to a referendum.