Government of President Almazbek Atambayev in Kyrgyzstan resigns after parliamentary coalition breakup

Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev

The government of President Almazbek Atambayev in Kyrgyzstan has resigned shortly after his party broke up with the ruling majority coalition in the parliament.

Atambayev signed a decree on his government’s resignation on Wednesday, the president’s website announced. He said the government’s resignation was due to the collapse of the coalition of the parliamentary majority.

The decree instructed government members, the prime minister, deputy prime ministers as well as heads of administrative bodies to continue performing their duties until the approval of a new government.

The Kyrgyz president’s Social Democratic Party broke ranks with its coalition partners on Monday after they refused to support its proposed constitutional reforms, which would give the prime minister more powers.

The proposed amendments raised concerns among the opponents, who claimed Atambayev would go on to take the role of the prime minister after his presidential term ends next year. 

Constitutionally, Atambayev is limited to only one presidential term, which will come to an end in 2017. He had said in August, however, that he had no plans to become prime minister.

A bill calling a referendum on the constitutional reforms on December 11 needs to be passed in a final third reading to become law.

The parliamentary coalition was formed in November last year between the factions of the Social Democratic Party, the Kyrgyzstan Party, and the parties of Onuguu-Progress and Ata-Meken.