A constitutional referendum was held in Kyrgyzstan on 11 December 2016. The constitutional amendments were approved by around 80% of voters.

Background

The post-independence constitution was introduced in 1993, with modifications made following referendums in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

and

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. However, the current constitution prohibits any amendments being made until 2020. The original version of the 2010 constitution has been lost.

Proposed changes

The proposed changes to the constitution were put forward by five parties, and included increasing the powers of the Prime Minister and Supreme Council, as well as making reforms to the judicial system. The proposed reforms also established that marriage could be only "between a man and a woman" instead of "between two persons"; this was criticized by the Venice Commission of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

Conduct

There were some reports of alleged fraud. Some that political parties had resorted to vote buying and people told that they were offered 500 to 1,000 soms ($7 to $14) per vote. Speaking at a press conference, deputy Interior Minister Almaz Orozaliev reported five such cases (three in the Bishkek and two in the northern Chui region).Kyrgyz Voters Back Amendments On Same-Sex Marriage, Presidential Power
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 11 December 2016

Results

References

2016 in Kyrgyzstan 2016 referendums December 2016 events in Asia Referendums in Kyrgyzstan {{Asia-election-stub