OSCE Centre supports political dialogue ahead of Kyrgyzstan's presidential election

BISHKEK, 16 August 2011 – The Chief of Kyrgyzstan’s Presidential Administration, Parliamentarians, senior government officials, political party leaders, experts, representatives of the civil society and international organizations met today in Bishkek to discuss ways to ensure fair, transparent and safe conduct of the presidential election scheduled for 30 October 2011.

The meeting was organized by the non-governmental organization Parliament of Political Parties and the civil movement “Tilektesh – Solidarity” with support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the International Republican Institute. The Parliament of Political Parties is an OSCE-supported forum for representatives of the parties across the political spectrum; it works on matters related to legislation, party development and voter communication.

Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: ”The forthcoming presidential election will be the key element of stabilization and democratization efforts the country has undertaken since last April. The OSCE alongside other international and local partners will support the election process to help ensure that international standards embedded into the national legislation are observed.”   

Emilbek Kaptagaev, the Chief of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, said: “For the first time our country has a chance to hold elections fairly and transparently. This Presidential election has a truly historical meaning, because the transitional period is about to be over and we all want it to finish successfully. Today’s forum is very timely and important. Similar platforms for discussions should be organized across the country. We have to form a list of requirements for the candidates that they will need to try complying with. The requirements must be made public; in this case the election will be fair.”

Roza Aknazarova, the Chairperson of the Parliament of Political Parties, stressed that “the Presidential election should be conducted in compliance with the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic”. “All the candidates should sign a Code of Conduct to ensure fair and transparent elections which are a crucial factor of stability in the country,” she said.

The event was held as a part of the OSCE Centre’s efforts to support a platform for inclusive political dialogue among Kyrgyzstan’s parties in order to promote pluralistic debate and consensus-building.