Democratic ideas and undemocratic practices: International assistance to the Kyrgyz parliamentThe democratization literature has increasingly pointed to the importance of a strong parliament with its unique functions of representation, legislation and control of the executive. However, in countries such as Kyrgyzstan, parliament has had a subservient role in politics due to the strong executive power. In this context, the parliament has developed and served other functions and become a platform for business interests, rent-seeking and clientelism. Since the 2010 constitutional changes in Kyrgyzstan, the international community has launched several projects towards strengthening and assisting the Kyrgyz parliament in carrying out the core functions of a democratic parliament. This article examines the idea behind and content of these projects and argues that, despite acknowledging the alternative functions of the parliament on paper, international organizations have difficulty incorporating these insights within their project activities.