Kyrgyzstan approves constitution boosting president’s power

MOSCOW (AP) — Kyrgyzstan’s national elections commission says voters have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that substantially increases the president’s powers. The commission said results from 90% of the polling places showed 79% approval of the constitution in Sunday’s referendum.  The referendum came three months after Sadyr Zhaparov was elected president, following the ouster of the previous president amid protests, the third time in 15 years that a leader of Kyrgyzstan had been driven from office in a popular uprising. The new constitution reduces the size of the country’s parliament by 25% to 90 seats and give the president the power to appoint judges and heads of law-enforcement agencies.