By RIA Novasti
Bishkek : The Ak Zhol party supported by Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has swept the parliamentary polls, election officials said Monday.
According to the preliminary results of Sunday’s election, the pro-presidential party secured over 47 percent of the votes that eventually gave it all seats in the legislature, as only two of the 12 parties have cleared the five percent threshold to gain entry to the unicameral 90-seat parliament.
Kyrgyz electoral rules requires a party to win at least five percent of national votes and 0.5 percent of regional votes to be eligible to enter parliament.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev called the early elections in October, after amending the constitution in a referendum that strengthened his powers, and establishing his own party Ak Zhol.
In line with the new constitution, parliament was elected from party lists for the first time in the history of the erstwhile member of the Soviet Republic.
Bakiyev’s opponents said constitutional changes and the early parliamentary elections were initiated by the president to usurp power and backtrack on democracy. However, Bakiyev’s supporters say the new system is more democratic.
Kyrgyzstan has been in political turmoil since 2005 when disputed parliamentary elections triggered mass protests that ousted long-time leader Askar Akayev and brought Bakiyev to power.
The opposition has accused authorities of plotting “large-scale vote rigging” at the parliamentary elections.
The Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan will consider Monday the legitimacy of establishing the 0.5 percent regional threshold.