The article analyzes the genesis and evolution of democratic traditions in the Kyrgyz Republic. It examines the formation of elements of popular sovereignty in a traditional nomadic society, including the institutions of the kurultai, aksakal courts, and the principles of meritocracy. The process of institutional development in the 20th century as the foundation of modern statehood is examined. Particular attention is paid to the post-Soviet period and the constitutional reform of 2021, which consolidated the status of the People's Kurultai as a mechanism for synthesizing national traditions with the principles of modern parliamentarism.
Kyrgyzstan; democracy; kurultai; aksakal courts; meritocracy; political culture; statehood; constitutional reform.