A group of eight deputies, led by the Speaker of Parliament Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, proposed changes to the parliamentary election system. The draft law has been submitted for public discussion.
The Speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, Deputy Speaker Nurbek Sydygaliev, and deputies Akybek Tumonbaev, Marlen Mamataliev, Kunduzbek Sulaimanov, Ulan Primov, Daniyar Tolonov, Zhumabek Salymbekov, and Chyngyz Azhibaev emphasize that the new mechanism was developed in order to improve the procedure for elections to the Parliament, combat political corruption, eliminate the shortcomings in the current electoral system, and increase the level of citizens’ trust in elected representatives.
The deputies note that the presented draft constitutional law is aimed at correcting the shortcomings of the proportional election system based on party lists.
According to the current law, 54 deputies of the Parliament are elected in a single electoral district based on the proportional representation system. At least 36 deputies of the Parliament are elected in single-mandate constituencies based on the majority system. The right to nominate candidates for deputies to the Parliament belongs to:
— Under the proportional system — political parties;
— Under the majority system — political parties and citizens by self-nomination (Article 59).
The presented draft constitutional law provides for the following conceptual provisions:
To hold elections of deputies of the Parliament, 30 multi-mandate territorial electoral districts are formed, in each of which three deputies are elected.
That is, 90 deputies of Parliament are elected in multi-mandate territorial electoral districts under the majority system.
Political parties nominate one candidate from each multi-mandate territorial electoral district at the congress of the political party by secret ballot.
Self-nomination of a citizen is carried out by submitting to the Central Election Commission an application of intent to run as a candidate in a given electoral district.
Three candidates who receive the highest number of votes from voters in the corresponding territorial electoral district are recognized as elected in a multi-mandate territorial electoral district.
