Kyrgyz Voters Pass New Constitution

Moving forward from the harsh ethnic violence that has characterized the nation in recent weeks, Kyrgyz voters peacefully went to the polls yesterday and overwhelmingly voted to approve a new constitution. According to results released Monday morning, more than 90 percent of voters supported a new parliamentary democracy in the referendum, putting Kyrgyzstan on track to be a rare standout among the authoritarian states that surround it in Central Asia. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva declared it “a historic day” and hailed the election as a step to “heal the wounds we have sustained in recent times.”