The Impact of Electoral Systems on Political Party Development in Kyrgyzstan since its independence 1991

Abstract

Since gaining independence in 1991, Kyrgyzstan has experienced significant political changes in its political life, especially, in its electoral system. The country in its electoral system used all three types of electoral systems: majoritarian, proportional, and mixed. This evolution can be explained through the evolution of political parties and their development. Employing process-tracing analysis alongside empirical data that highlights the characteristics of political parties inherited from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Following independence year, Kyrgyzstan wanted to establish democratic features and build political institutions. This thesis examines the relationship between different electoral systems and political parties. The thesis focuses on several key aspects: the number of seats gained by political parties in Parliament, in other words, the representation of political parties, the stability and duration of political parties between the period of 1995-2021, the behavior of political party leaders, regarding whether they changed parties during each parliamentary election. Using historical institutionalism and rational choice institutionalism as a theoretical framework, this research explores empirical data to uncover the connections between electoral systems and political parties in Kyrgyzstan. This thesis accepts the existing literature on political party development in Kyrgyzstan, including studies on the evolution of parties, the significance of individual-driven politics, the claims of weak institutionalization of political parties, and descriptions of the electoral systems used throughout the country’s presidential and parliamentary history. However, one specific question remained under the research area: how do different electoral systems influence political parties? Particularly focusing on parliamentary elections, since 1995, during which eight parliamentary elections have been conducted, with one annulled result. Therefore, this thesis aims to contribute to the literature by examining the impact of each type of electoral system on the development of political parties in Kyrgyzstan. It uses a mixed-methods approach that combines historical analysis, process tracing, and quantitative data analysis.