…AND GIVES DEMOCRACY A CHANCE.

Kyrgyzstan’s legislative assembly voted overwhelmingly September 20 against holding a referendum on prolonging president Askar Akayev’s term of office until the year 2000 or 2001. The assembly thereby ruled against an appeal backed by 1.2 million signatories, or half of the country’s registered voters, in favor of holding the referendum. The parliament’s resolution says that a referendum on this matter would have violated the Constitution which requires contested presidential elections by direct voting at five year