Future of Parliamentary Democracy in Kyrgyzstan

We must prove to the world community that a new political culture takes root in Kyrgyzstan and a new political strategy supported by people will have a future. A return to the past will imminently lead to the restoration of totalitarianism and a clannish government. We must learn a lesson from the past. Life will show how suitable the parliamentary system is for our community. Our people had lived in the conditions of a nomadic democracy for thousands of years, preserving their traditions and values in difficult times of history. Now they have a full right to choose their own way of development. Only that nation which decides its own future on its own deserves freedom. (Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva’s address to first session of the new parliament on 10 November 2010)