Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan

The Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (Russian: Социал-демократическая партия Кыргызстана (СДПК), Sotsial-demokraticheskaya partiya Kyrgyzstana; Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан Социал-дeмoкратиялык Пaртиясы, Kyrgyzstan sotsial-demokratiyalyk Partiyasy) was a political party in Kyrgyzstan. Members formed the party on 1 October 1993, but did not register with the Justice Ministry until 16 December 1994. Abdygany Erkebaev served as the party's first chairman. Almazbek Atambayev replaced him on 30 July 1999. The majority of the party's membership is drawn from the country's entrepreneurs. Currently party is known as Social Democrats (Kyrgyzstan) and its active party chairman is Temirlan Sultanbekov.

Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan Кыргызстан социал-дeмoкратиялык Пaртиясы
Russian name	Социал-демократическая партия Кыргызстана
Leader	Sagynbek Abdrahmanov and Anvar Artykov (disputed)
Founded	1 October 1993 (1993-10-01)
Registered	16 December 1994 (1994-12-16)
Dissolved	2020 (2020)
Succeeded by	Birimdik (pro-Jeenbekov wing) Social Democrats (pro-Atambayev wing)
Headquarters	Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Ideology	Social democracy Russophilia
Political position	Center-left[1] (with some centrist factions)[2]
Continental affiliation	Forum of Socialists of the CIS Countries
International affiliation	Socialist International
Website
www.sdpk.kg
Politics of Kyrgyzstan Political parties Elections

On 20 May 2004, the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) agreed to join the For Fair Elections electoral alliance. In October 2004, the larger El Party led by Melis Eshimkanov merged with the SDPK in preparation for the February 2005 parliamentary elections.

The party played a visible role in the Tulip Revolution and in large scale rallies in Bishkek in April and November 2006. A leading MP Temir Sariyev who joined SDPK in 2006 left the party due to his disagreement with Almazbek Atambayev becoming a prime minister in March 2007.

The SDPK received the votes of 8% of eligible voters in the 2010 parliamentary elections, giving it 26 of 120 seats in parliament. This result made the party the second of five parties to surpass the support threshold of 5% of eligible voters necessary to enter parliament. The party won a plurality 38 of 120 seats in the 2015 parliamentary elections. In 2017 its presidential candidate, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, won the presidential election with 54% of the vote.[3]

In June 2018 the party was admitted into the Socialist International as a full member.[4]

In March 2019, several party members aligned with former President Almazbek Atambayev split off from the SDPK and the government coalition over a widening rift with President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Originally seen as Atambayev's hand-picked successor, Jeenbekov dismissed of most of the members associated with Atambayev's government when he was elected President and began investigations into possible corrupt practices by his predecessor.[5] In May 2020, two of Atambayev's sons announced that they were joining a new political party, the Social Democrats of Kyrgyzstan. Several other members of the SDPK left following a 26 May session of the political council.[6]

The party de facto ceased its activities in the first half of 2020, when it split into the pro-Jeenbekov Birimdik and the pro-Atambayev SDK.[7] Currently party is known as Social Democrats (Kyrgyzstan).