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OSCE/ODIHR deploys election observers to Kyrgyz Republic
WARSAW/BISHKEK 18 January 2005
WARSAW/BISHKEK, 18 January 2005 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has deployed an Election Observation Mission for the 27 February parliamentary election in the Kyrgyz Republic. This is in response to an invitation by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
These will be the first parliamentary elections conducted since the amendment of the Constitution by referendum in February 2003, which changed the structure of the parliament (Jogorku Kenesh) from a bicameral to a unicameral body, eliminated the proportional list method of electing some deputies, and reduced the number of deputies from 105 to 75.
Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj of the Slovak Republic heads the Election Observation Mission. It consists of 12 international staff based in Bishkek and 18 long-term observers deployed in the regions. Citizens of 17 OSCE participating States are represented in the Mission.
The ODIHR has requested 170 short-term observers to be deployed immediately prior to the 27 February elections.
The Mission will assess the entire electoral process in terms of its compliance with international standards for democratic elections and with national legislation. It will focus on the election campaign, the legislative framework and its implementation, the media situation, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, and the resolution of election-related disputes.
The short-term observers will be deployed around the country in teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.
The day after the election, the Election Observation Mission will hold a press conference to issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions.
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the activities of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, headed by Ambassador Markus Mueller, operate separately under their specific mandates.
These will be the first parliamentary elections conducted since the amendment of the Constitution by referendum in February 2003, which changed the structure of the parliament (Jogorku Kenesh) from a bicameral to a unicameral body, eliminated the proportional list method of electing some deputies, and reduced the number of deputies from 105 to 75.
Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj of the Slovak Republic heads the Election Observation Mission. It consists of 12 international staff based in Bishkek and 18 long-term observers deployed in the regions. Citizens of 17 OSCE participating States are represented in the Mission.
The ODIHR has requested 170 short-term observers to be deployed immediately prior to the 27 February elections.
The Mission will assess the entire electoral process in terms of its compliance with international standards for democratic elections and with national legislation. It will focus on the election campaign, the legislative framework and its implementation, the media situation, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, and the resolution of election-related disputes.
The short-term observers will be deployed around the country in teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.
The day after the election, the Election Observation Mission will hold a press conference to issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions.
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the activities of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, headed by Ambassador Markus Mueller, operate separately under their specific mandates.