display
Bishkek (dpa) - Six months after the violent change of power in the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the new President Sadyr Schaparow had his powers significantly expanded in a constitutional referendum.
Around 3.6 million people in the high mountain country on the border with China were called on Sunday to decide on a transition from a parliamentary to a presidential republic.
The constitutional reform has been adopted, said Deputy Prime Minister Ulugbek Karymschakow of the Akipress agency in Bishkek.
Critics of the constitution fear a return to an authoritarian power system with fewer fundamental rights - after a period of unusual democratic progress in the region.
Shortly after the polling stations closed at 8:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. CEST), it was announced that the minimum voter turnout of 30 percent had been reached.
A little later, the electoral commission also announced that almost all the votes had been counted.
Accordingly, around 80 percent of the people would have voted for the new constitution.
Local elections were held at the same time.
display
The region in Central Asia is characterized by authoritarian presidential systems.
Impoverished Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, was the only country to transform itself into a republic with a strong parliament after several revolutions ten years ago.
In October there was another violent coup after a controversial parliamentary election.
The parliamentary elections are still to be repeated.
Shaparov, who had been convicted of hostage-taking, was released from prison in October, took over the post of head of government, ousted head of state Sooronbay Dscheenbekov and was appointed president after a controversial election in January.
Shaparov also initiated the constitutional amendment.
In an opinion in March, the EU stated that the new constitution jeopardized the balance of power and individual freedoms as well as the rule of law.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210411-99-163498 / 2