Kyrgyz Lawmaker 'Ashamed Of Parliament's Failures,' Gives Up Mandate

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz lawmaker Iskhak Masaliev has announced he will give up his mandate because he is "ashamed of parliament’s failures," saying the legislature doesn't use its full authority to challenge the government on very important issues.

Masaliev told a parliamentary session on May 21 that he will end his duties as a member from May 25, and accused other members of "violating procedural regulations."

"It would be great if the parliament’s work could change at least a bit. I apologize to my voters, whose expectations I probably did not meet. I am ready to work at any other post to be of use to the country, but I consider it impossible to continue working as a lawmaker in the current parliament ," Masaliev said.

Masaliev and several other lawmakers initiated a bill to decrease the 9 percent threshold needed to get a seat in the legislature to 5 percent. The move, however, failed at it was not supported by parliamentary committees.

After fierce debate last week, however, lawmakers approved a different bill that would lower the barrier to 7 percent.

The 59-year-old Masaliev is the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan. He was elected in 2015 to the parliament on the list of the Onuguu-Progress Party.

Masaliev served earlier as a lawmaker between 2000-2010.

In 2012-2014, he led Kyrgyzstan’s State Taxation Service.