Forty-one lawmakers plan to propose a new draft Constitution to expand President Kurmankbek Bakiyev's powers after their previous draft to replace the existing Constitution was rejected Monday.
"The president and political forces supporting him want to invalidate the efforts and wishes of the people, which are set out in the current Constitution," the opposition For Reforms movement said in a statement. "Those forces are proposing a new Constitution that would expand presidential powers and reinstate an authoritarian, nepotistic regime."
The opposition said parliament discussed amendments to the Constitution, signed November 8 following a week of opposition-led rallies in the capital, Bishkek, twice in violation of law and parliamentary regulations.
"The adoption of an authoritarian Constitution with a tacit agreement of the president would have negative consequences for the whole country," the statement said.
The country is experiencing a new political crisis since the government resigned en bloc last Tuesday as a result of an ongoing standoff between the Cabinet and lawmakers.
The Constitution, adopted by the opposition and pro-government lawmakers, is based on a compromise agreement and stipulates that the Cabinet be formed by a party which wins parliamentary elections, and that the parliament be extended to 90 deputies from the current 75.
The parliament is currently lacking a party majority and cannot form a new Cabinet.
But lawmakers backing Bakiyev, who is accused of failing to act on the promises to curb corruption and revive the impoverished post-Soviet nation since he came to power on the back of a popular uprising last March, say amendments to the Constitution could help end the standoff.
"We must adopt the amended Constitution immediately to end ongoing conflicts and political crises. The country cannot exist without a legitimate government," said Kamchybek Tashiyev, a lawmaker.
Tashiyev also said some MPs were seeking the dissolution of parliament and had gathered 31 out of 50 required signatures backing the initiative. He said they were also making preparations for early parliamentary elections.
Nur Omarov, a prominent political analyst, said dissolving parliament would be inappropriate at the moment as the country lacked a legislation regulating elections.
"The country is lacking the election legislation that would conform to the new Constitution, and a law on political parties that would stipulate new constituencies' boundaries has not been adopted either," he said.
