Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted on Thursday to call a referendum on constitutional change that would strengthen the powers of the prime minister, a move opponents say is aimed at getting President Almazbek Atambayev into the post when his term ends. The proposed constitutional amendments include provisions granting more powers to the cabinet and to leaders of parliamentary factions. Kyrgyzstan, an impoverished, mostly Muslim nation of 6 million, has been volatile in recent years.
