OSCE Centre chairs meeting on electoral assistance in Kyrgyzstan

A donor co-ordination meeting on electoral assistance chaired by the OSCE Centre with the participation of the EU and the UN offices in Kyrgyzstan took place at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek on 17 May.

The electoral support co-ordination mechanism was launched by UNDP Kyrgyzstan Election Support Project before the parliamentary elections of 10 October 2010. In March 2011, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, UNDP and the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic agreed to hold monthly co-ordination meetings chaired on a rotation basis.

“This meeting comes at a vital stage in Kyrgyzstan’s democratic development. The upcoming presidential elections will have a significant stabilizing impact for the country if held in line with democratic principles,” said Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “If the Kyrgyz authorities request it, the international community could offer considerable co-ordinated support in organizing and administering the elections in line with international standards.”

Donor co-ordination meetings are a key platform for exchange of information and opinions on electoral support matters and for discussing collaboration between the international donor organizations and the Kyrgyz authorities represented at the meetings by the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, the Deputy Head of the President’s Apparatus and Parliament members.

Presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan are scheduled for October 2011.