Head of OSCE Centre in Bishkek voices concern over disproportionate use of force against NGO and human rights activists

BISHKEK, 24 December 2007 - The Head of OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Ambassador Markus Mueller, said today he was concerned over the the political developments in the country after the election.

"According to the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR and other observers, the elections failed to meet a number of the Kyrgyz Republic's OSCE commitments. Furthermore, the exclusion of the party that came second clearly contradicts the democratic principle of inclusiveness and the respect of the people's choice," said Ambassador Mueller.

The Head of OSCE Centre in Bishkek said he deplored disproportionate use of force by police, the rude and unjustified arrests of NGO and human rights activists that demonstrated against the improper organization of the elections.

"The constitutional right to freedom of assembly cannot be suppressed by a decision of the Bishkek local council. As underlined in the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission, "it appears that this decision is not in line with the Constitutional Court ruling of 14 October 2004," he added.

"Kyrgyzstan has so far been an example of democratic reforms in the region. In the interest of the continuation of the democratic process and the stability of the country the shortcomings of the electoral process have to be addressed with a positive and corrective action," said Ambassador Mueller.