THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL INSTABILITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES: POLITICAL SYSTEM AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN KYRGYZSTAN’S POLITICAL LIFE (1991-2021)

Abstract

To analyze the mobility in a country’s politics objectively, it is important to consider the issue at the constitutional level. The Kyrgyz Republic is a politically active country in Central Asia. This study examines the political transformation that Kyrgyzstan has seen since its establishment as a post-Soviet state. The analysis is conducted through the lens of political system analysis, employing a constitutional institutionalist approach. The constitutional amendments of the Kyrgyz Republic were examined by document analysis method within the scope of the study. In this sense, the study adds to the body of political science literature by examining how the nation’s constitutional amendments have affected political election processes, leadership changes, and the formation of patronal relationship networks. The primary conclusion of the study corroborates the study’s hypothesis, namely that the primary aim of constitutional amendments in Kyrgyzstan is not political stability but rather the leaders’ desire to fortify their relationships and themselves.