KYRGYZSTAN: FINAL VERSION OF DRAFT CONSTITUTION PUBLISHED

May 21, 2010: the interim government published the final draft of the Kyrgyz Constitution, which was finalized by the government after going through a nationwide debate and a debate at the Constitutional Conference.
The definition "secular state" remained in the final version of the draft constitution, despites a number of objections during discussions at the Constitutional Conference.
The draft constitution bans the formation of parties on a religious or ethnic basis, bans torture, the death penalty, experiments on human beings, as well as criminal prosecution for defamation.
Under the new draft, Kyrgyzstan becomes a parliamentary republic, in which the president, while remaining the head of state and the commander-in-chief, has limited powers.
The head of state will be elected for six years, although initially a five-year term was suggested, and will be allowed to serve one term only.
The future Kyrgyz president has no absolute immunity and can be prosecuted "for a crime only on the basis of an accusation brought by the parliament and approved by the prosecutor general." (Sources: Interfax, 21/05/2010)