Heated debates surrounding the adoption of Kyrgyzstan's first postindependence constitution in the spring of 1993 also served as the impetus for negotiating the establishment of a new electoral system. One of the key points of contention in these debates was whether the national legislature should remain unicameral or become bicameral. Another concerned the timing of elections for a new parliament to replace Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Soviet, which was elected in 1990 (i.e., prior to independence). President Askar Akaev and his administration, as well as the majority of political party leaders, saw this as an opportunity to disband the existing national legislature early and to elect a new one in accordance with Kyrgyzstan's newly adopted democratic constitution. President Akaev in particular anticipated that a postindependence set of legislators would be more willing to support his reform path than the present one, which was “filled with nomenklatura.” Likewise, party leaders recognized the opportunity that early elections would provide for increasing their own representation in the new parliament. The majority of Supreme Soviet deputies, however, initially opposed this move because they feared early elections might remove them from power. The strongest resistance came from regional leaders, who formed a powerful minority among them.

This, in turn, launched an intense discussion over the need to replace the current electoral system as well. Here, too, divisions between regional and central leaders immediately became apparent.