Russian became an official language in Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest former Soviet republics, during the presidency of Askar Akayev, who was toppled in popular uprisings in March 2005 known as the "tulip revolution" and fled the country.
"Former President Askar Akayev gave the Russian language an official status to gain support from the Russian-speaking population in the country," said Topchubek Turgunaliyev, a member of a working group on the new constitution and the head of the Erkindink (Freedom) political party. "In reality there is no difference at all between the official and the state language."
The authors of the new constitution said the Kyrgyz language - and not Russian - was being ignored in the country because it never became the state language after independence followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
"We do not intend to force everyone to speak the Kyrgyz language and until the Kyrgyz language becomes the language for interethnic communication, this status will belong to the Russian language," said Justice Minister Marat Kaipov, who is also a member of the working group.
The minister said Russian would be allowed to flourish in the country even if its status is downgraded.
Members of the working group also proposed abolishing the Constitutional Court, changing the system of parliamentary elections and reforming the judicial system.
The working group to draft the new constitution was set up in March 2006 on the orders of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
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