In order to protect the life and health of citizens, the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan submitted for discussion of the members of the Security Council the issue of suspension of the elections to the local councils of Kyrgyzstan until the epidemiological situation normalizes. Press service of the Central Election Commission of the country reported.
Registration for participation in the city council elections has already been completed, where 22 political parties submitted 50 lists with more than 3,000 candidates. As of today, registration of 980 nominated candidates for rural councils is nearing completion.
According to the election schedule, the following stages — the campaign period and voting day — are the most active phases of the elections and involve active interaction of voters and candidates.
Central Election Commission
On March 19, the CEC of the Kyrgyz Republic decided on measures for the sanitary and epidemiological safety of citizens at all polling stations and recommended parties and candidates to observe the restrictions on mass meetings during campaigning, preferring campaigning through print and audiovisual forms, the Internet, and social media.
The CEC agrees that continuation of elections in the context of registration of new cases of coronavirus poses, first of all, great risks to the health and well-being of citizens in view of the massive nature of the most elective events.
The local elections involve 342,245 voters and over 4,000 candidates to city and rural councils.
The CEC also received requests from parties from Karakol, Tokmak, Balykchi to postpone the voting day and election-related events until the epidemiological situation in the country normalizes. Deputies of the Parliament and the public expressed their concern about these issues and similar proposals.
Security Council members supported the initiative of the CEC and decided that the elections should be canceled.
As of today, at least 14 cases of coronavirus have been registered in the country. An emergency situation regime has been introduced in the republic.
