• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

24 January 2003

U.S. Concerned Over Draft of New Kyrgyz Republic Constitution

(Douglas Davidson to OSCE Permanent Council) (430)
In a statement to the OSCE Permanent Council January 23, U.S. diplomat
Douglas Davidson said the United States was concerned by the
"unexpected" January 13 publication of a new draft of the Kyrgyz
Republic Constitution which "contains a number of provisions that
would strengthen the executive branch as well as provisions that could
weaken the role of civil society."
In addition, Davidson said the draft "did not appear to take into
account the views of the Constitutional Council," which was to be
created to enable a wide spectrum of political representatives to
provide a broad consensus on reforms.
Davidson added that the United States is also concerned that the
current proposed referendum on February 2 "will not permit adequate
time to address these serious issues, provide for public discussion of
the draft, or prepare for adequate monitoring of the referendum by the
OSCE."
Following is Davidson's statement:
(begin transcript)
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna 
January 23, 2003
STATEMENT ON KYRGYZ CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM
Delivered by Deputy Chief of Mission, Douglas Davidson to the
Permanent Council
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
I would like to begin by thanking the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan for his
detailed explanation of the background and circumstances surrounding
the upcoming referendum on the Constitution in his country. But I
would also like to make a brief comment on an aspect of this
referendum that is of concern to my government.
Mr. Chairman, The United States was encouraged by President Akayev's
explanation in September of last year of the constitutional reform
process he had launched to shift the balance of power from the
executive to the legislative and judicial branches.
The active participation in the Constitutional Council comprising a
wide spectrum of political representatives created a process by which
a broad consensus on reforms was being formed.
The United States was concerned, therefore, by the unexpected
publication on January 13 of this year of a new Constitutional draft,
which did not appear to take into account the views of the
Constitutional Council. In addition, this draft contains a number of
provisions that would strengthen the executive branch as well as
provisions that could weaken the role of civil society.
The United States is thus concerned that the current proposed
referendum on February 2 will not permit adequate time to address
these serious issues, provide for public discussion of the draft, or
prepare for adequate monitoring of the referendum by the OSCE.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)