The economy, living conditions and the threat from Islamist militants are high on the agenda as the country prepares to go the polls on Sunday. RFE/RL reports

It’s been a decade since the tulip revolution that ousted Kyrgyzstan’s authoritarian president Askar Akayev from power. Since then the country has endured further political upheaval, but has clung to a semblance of democracy in a region otherwise populated by autocratic governments.

On Sunday the country goes to the polls in the second parliamentary election since 2010, in which pro-Russian parties look set to retain their dominance. Here’s what you need to know:

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The parties

This is the first time the country is using biometric data to guard against multiple voting and other forms of voter fraud. Concern and suspicion about how personal data might be used has led some residents to forego the registration, making them ineligible to take part in the poll.



The parliamentary elections feature 14 political parties competing for 120 seats in the supreme council.

If one were to judge from the visibility of party promotions – posters, banners, flag, car stickers – the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) would be on course to win.

Led by Chynybai Tursunbekov – an ardent supporter of president Almazbek Atambayev and his warm relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin – the party has presented itself as a bulwark of stability and development.

The Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party is also likely to gain seats on Sunday, thanks to its criticisms of the country’s slow reforms, and its calls to nationalise the country’s largest gold mine, Kumtor.

Onuguu-Progress party is particularly popular in the country’s rural regions, thanks to its motto “strong regions mean a strong Kyrgyzstan”, and its focus on agriculture as “the locomotive of the economy”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A woman reads lists of electors at a polling station in the village of Baytik, 20 km outside the capital Bishkek. Photograph: Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images

Will it be democratic?

In terms of voter access to information, the electorate’s ability to participate, and the ability of political parties and candidates to spread their message among voters, the process so far appears to be have been democratic.

But whether whether the new biometric system proves reliable, the tabulation of votes transparent and free of allegations of rigging, remains to be seen.

In previous elections, some parties have alleged vote counts were tampered with.

Monitors from the OSCE’s office for democratic institutions and human rights described the last parliamentary elections, in 2010, as “a further consolidation of the democratic process”, and the organisation’s monitors are back this year to monitor Sunday’s vote.

What are the main issues being debated?

Most of the problems people have been mentioning are connected to the economy. There is concern about employment, particularly the topic of migrant Kyrgyz labourers – many feel it is a blemish on the country that citizens have to leave to find decent jobs, while only a fraction of the 500,000 to 800,000 citizens working outside the country are expected to cast ballots.

Another problem that’s often mentioned is the sudden, rapid increase in the cost of living. This is due mainly to factors outside Kyrgyzstan’s control – the falling values of the Russian rouble, the Kazakh tenge, and the Chinese yuan. All three countries are major trade partners with Kyrgyzstan.

There is also a feeling that many of the veteran politicians in Kyrgyzstan have been around too long and it’s time for a younger generation to enter government.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A man reads information about the candidates for parliament at a polling station in Belovodsk town. Photograph: Igor Kovalenko/EPA

What’s Kyrgyzstan’s ‘north-south divide’, and how does it affect this vote?

The country is divided by the Tien-Shan mountains. Generally, northern Kyrgyzstan is the more industrialised region, while the south relies more on agriculture, is more populous and has a higher number of Muslim citizens.

So far, people in the south appear more enthusiastic about the upcoming elections and have higher expectations for what the new government can do, while people in the north seem to be following the campaigning more closely, and are less optimistic that a new government can do much to change their living conditions.

Is Russia watching closely?

Russia has little to fear from the outcome, as all the parties regard Russia as a major partner. It is inconceivable that any new government would attempt to reduce ties with the Kremlin, especially in light of Kyrgyzstan’s recent entry into the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, which many see as a chance to improve the country’s rather bleak economic situation.

Beyond that, there are some security concerns connected to Islamic extremism, and many view Russia as the country’s best ally if Kyrgyzstan indeed faces such a threat. Russia currently has a military airbase in the country, which it says it so fight the advance of radical Islam from Afghanistan.

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Is there any danger of instability?

The Kyrgyz have a history of taking to the streets, and the famous 2005 Tulip Revolution was sparked by fraudulent elections.

The biggest threat this time around is that expectations are so high. If any new government fails to deliver on campaign promises, or if some scandal surrounding the elections emerges, the democratic process could be severely undermined, with the public rejecting the outcome.

Simply put, if the people feel let down after all this excitement and effort, there will be problems.

That said, Kyrgyzstan is in a difficult situation. Beyond economic woes, there are problems with electricity and heating, border problems with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, corruption, and other issues. Even the most free and fair democratic election won’t solve this country’s problems overnight.

A version of this article first appeared on RFE/RL