Kyrgyzstan replaces open competition with state-commissioned process to pick new national anthem

Kyrgyzstan has changed the rules for selecting a potential new national anthem, moving away from an open public competition and toward a government-commissioned assignment, the parliamentary committee on constitutional legislation decided this week. The proposed amendments, put forward by the deputy minister of culture, were approved by committee members and adjust both the selection mechanism and the timetable for completing the project.

Deputy Minister of Culture Союзбек Надырбеков presented the initiative to the committee, arguing that previous open contests had not produced the expected results. He told lawmakers that the process should now be implemented through a state contract and that the deadline for completion should be extended to December 1. In his remarks he said: «Проведение открытого конкурса не дало ожидаемых результатов, поэтому предлагается реализовать этот проект через государственный заказ». The committee approved the amendments to the existing resolution.

Officials noted that two earlier competitions to create a revised anthem had already been held and that a large number of submissions had been considered. According to the ministry, those processes produced 902 project entries from 603 authors, but none of the entries were adopted. The first competition was announced in 2025, and subsequent efforts included an extended work period for the commission tasked with reviewing submissions.

The debate over whether to revise Kyrgyzstan’s national anthem has stretched over several years and involved prominent political figures. In 2024 the speaker of parliament, Нурланбек Тургунбек уулу, called for a review of the anthem’s text, saying it should more accurately reflect the country’s contemporary development. President Садыр Жапаров supported the initiative as well, noting that the current anthem was adopted during the first years after independence and, in his view, no longer fully corresponds to the nation’s present identity.

Kyrgyzstan’s present national anthem was adopted on December 18, 1992. Its lyrics were written by poets Жалил Садыков and Шабданбек Кулуев, and the music composed by Насыр Давлесов and Калый Молдобасанов. Those historical details were reiterated by parliamentary and cultural officials during discussions about whether and how to revise the anthem.

The committee’s decision to shift to a state-commissioned process marks a substantive change in how cultural and national-symbol decisions will be made. Proponents cited the inability of open contests so far to deliver an acceptable revision as justification for concentrating responsibility within a government-managed procurement. The move also includes an administrative extension to give those charged with producing and reviewing a new anthem more time to complete the work.

Critics and observers who emphasize public participation in cultural policy might view a shift away from open competition as a reduction in transparency and civic engagement, although such reactions were not recorded in the committee’s official summary. The change nevertheless underscores tensions that can arise between government-led cultural direction and broader public involvement in decisions that touch on national identity.

Parliamentary approval of the committee’s amendments is a key procedural step; further decisions will depend on how the government implements the state contract process and whether a draft anthem selected through that mechanism gains broad public acceptance. For now, Kyrgyz authorities have signaled a determination to proceed with a centrally managed effort to produce a version of the national anthem they consider more representative of the country’s current stage of development.