Artur Herasymov, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, has headed the OSCE PA delegation to watch over the presidential election in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The election campaign lasted from 10 September to 13 October.
The registered candidates could, in general, campaign freely using a variety of campaign methods. Several candidates and their regional structures were actively campaigning throughout the country.
The voting on the ground, at the polling stations, took place on October the 15th. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM includes 17 experts in the capital and 26 long-term observers deployed throughout the country.
On election day, 369 observers from 43 countries were deployed, including 298 long-term and short-term observers deployed by the OSCE/ODIHR, as well as a 37-member delegation from the OSCE PA, a 23-member delegation from the PACE, and a 11-member delegation from the EP.
Each of the institutions involved in this International Election Observation Mission has endorsed the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation. This Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions is delivered prior to the completion of the electoral process. The final assessment of the election will depend, in part, on the conduct of the remaining stages of the electoral process, including the count, tabulation and announcement of results, and the handling of possible post-election day complaints or appeals.
The OSCE/ODIHR will issue a comprehensive final report, including recommendations for potential improvements, some eight weeks after the completion of the electoral process. The OSCE PA will present its report at its Standing Committee meeting in Vienna in February 2018. The PACE will present its report at its Standing Committee meeting in November 2017 in Copenhagen. The EP will present its report at a forthcoming meeting of its Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The 15 October presidential election in Kyrgyzstan contributed to the strengthening of democratic institutions by providing for an orderly transfer of power from one elected president to another, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. The election was competitive, as voters had a broad choice and candidates could generally campaign freely, although cases of the misuse of public resources, pressure on voters and vote buying remain a concern, the observers said.
The technical aspects of the election were well-administered, but the adjudication of election disputes by the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CEC) was sometimes biased. While televised debates contributed to greater pluralism, self-censorship and limited editorial coverage of the campaign signaled deficiencies in media freedom, the statement says. Voting was orderly and well-organized in the large majority of polling stations observed, despite problems with ballot secrecy. Numerous and significant problems were noted during the vote count and the initial stages of tabulation.
“Kyrgyzstan has demonstrated a generally positive example for holding competitive elections and a peaceful transfer of power, but some concerns remain,” a preliminary OSCE/ODIHR EOM statement says.
OSCE PA sent its observers for some 150 election campaigns
in thirty OSCE member states.
A.Herasymov is the head of the Parliamentary delegation of Ukraine to OSCE PA, Vice-President of the OSCE PA Committee on Economy, and a member of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly.