Referendum as a Tool to Consolidate the Regime in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

The collapse of the Soviet Union gave birth to an interesting region, Central Asia, interesting from the point of view of the regimes and the use of various policy instruments. Kyrgyzstan is the state that is considered "the most democratic in the region" and most often uses the instrument of direct democracy - referendum. However, the democracy of the Kyrgyz regime and its further development is called into question, since the referendum in the country does not act as a means of participation of the people in the formation of state policy, but as a means of achieving the political goal of the state apparatus. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of the referendum institution in Kyrgyzstan and the relationship between the decision to use it and the conditions that make it possible to present the referendum as a democratic instrument that is necessary for solving present problems. Kyrgyzstan is not the only state with a hybrid regime that uses the instrument of direct democracy. The study also provides an example of the Russian Federation in connection with the use of the referendum in 2020. The study asks: when and why do political leaders in hybrid regimes decide to use a referendum? Based on a literature review and media analysis of the use of referendums in Kyrgyzstan, the study has the following results. Firstly, there is a tendency to increase the use of the referendum while lowering the turnout rate, as well as a decrease in the percentage necessary for the adoption of the referendum result. This makes it easier for state authorities to achieve their objectives. Secondly, there is a connection between the turbulent situation in the country - revolutions, rallies, the presence of problems in society, and the frequency of the use of referendums. Thus, the results show that: a) a referendum in a hybrid regime is not an instrument of direct democracy, but an instrument of legitimization of power and political manipulation in order to further the interests of state authorities; b) such situations as rallies, the turbulent situation in the country, socio-economic problems, as well as ethnic conflicts are conditions that allow the state authorities to raise the issue of a referendum as a way to solve these problems.