OSCE and Venice Commission host roundtable meeting on constitutional reform in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK, 13 May, 2010 - High-level representatives of Kyrgyzstan's interim government and international experts are meeting today in Bishkek at a roundtable meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Council of Europe's Venice Commission.
The meeting was convened to discuss the far-reaching constitutional changes proposed following the violent political crisis in early April. It takes place ahead of a public consultation process and a referendum on the new constitution scheduled for 27 June.
"The constitution will be a success if it instills checks and balances and prevents violent revolutions by ensuring that all forces may resolve deadlocks in a peaceful manner," said Roza Otunbaeva, the head of Kyrgyzstan's interim government at the opening.
The Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Lilian Darii, stated that "the process which is being witnessed right now reflects the desire to return the country to a state of supremacy of the law and for this reason the constitution must be, among others, implementable and sustainable."
Denis Petit, Acting Head of ODIHR's Democratization Department, added that while there is no standard recipe for constitutional design, any constitution of a democratic state should reflect key principles such as the separation of powers, accountability of the state, and the independence of institutions responsible for guaranteeing constitutional order and the protection of fundamental freedoms and rights. "The ultimate test is how a constitution is implemented in practice and whether it gains public confidence," he said.
Serguei Kouznetsov, Head of the Unit of Regional Co-operation Programmes of the Venice Commission said: "A constitution based on the principle of separation of powers is just the beginning of the process of legislative reform in Kyrgyzstan."
The over 150 officials, international experts, academics and civil society representatives reviewed proposed changes to provisions on the powers of the parliament, the president, the judiciary and the electoral system. Participants also discussed provisions of the constitution which concern fundamental rights and freedoms, constitutional review by the court, the role of the prosecutor and rights of minorities.
The event was supported by the European Commission and the United Nations.
ODIHR announced earlier this week that it will observe the 27 June constitutional referendum.