POLITICAL PARTIES UNDER CONDITIONS OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT OF KYRGYZSTAN

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Abstract

This article examines the functioning of Kyrgyzstan's political parties under conditions of political uncertainty and the transformation of democratic institutions. The aim of the study is to identify how changes in electoral rules, weak party institutionalization, the personalization of politics, and the digitalization of political communication affect the role of parties within the system of representative democracy. The methodological basis comprises an institutional approach, comparative political-science analysis, and a qualitative analysis of the scholarly literature, official materials of electoral bodies, international indices, and electoral-monitoring reports. The analysis shows that political uncertainty in Kyrgyzstan manifests not only in the instability of the party system but also in a shift in the logic of political representation — from programmatic party competition toward more personalized and localized forms of mobilization. The study concludes that these processes are dual in nature: they weaken the institutional stability of parties while simultaneously preserving space for civic participation, public oversight, and the renewal of democratic practices.