ABSTRACT
This chapter is an attempt at examining the complex process of constitutionalism in Kyrgyzstan. It looks into debates surrounding the adaptation of the constitution in post-independence Kyrgyzstan and the amendments that it went through since its adoption. The chapter seeks to examine these changes in the background of political events and developments particularly since the “Tulip Revolution”. The course of transition in the post-Soviet phase has occasioned the emergence of new actors in Kyrgyzstani politics and in a number of cases these new actors have been instrumental in defining changes. The chapter also examines whether they have also been crucial factors in reinforcing regional cleavages based on regional affiliations. The first section looks into developments in the process of constitution making; the second moves on to an analysis of recent developments within the political process, culminating in the ethnic tensions in southern Kyrgyzstan and the subsequent change in the Kyrgyz political system, the most significant of which is of course the introduction of the June 2010 Constitution with its intention to limit presidential powers and introduce a novel system of proportional representation.
