The UN Office in the Kyrgyz Republic calls on all political parties to exercise caution and avoid spread of COVID-19 during the election campaign.
«The start of campaigning period ahead of the 4 October Parliamentary Election has been officially announced. While recognizing that it is an important time whereby political parties reach out to voters so that they can make informed choices, we also acknowledge that COVID-19 has not gone away, even though the spread of the coronavirus, as evidenced by the official statistics, has fallen since its peak in July 2020,» the organization says in a statement.
The COVID-19 pandemic remains a major global issue, negatively affecting thousands of people every day globally.
«Therefore, we call on the political parties taking part in the parliamentary election to maintain all the necessary sanitary and epidemiological measures, including social distancing, wearing mask, washing or sanitizing hands, as recommended by the Government and WHO, while organizing meetings with the population,» the UN Office urges.
It is the obligation of the political parties to ensure that all the risks of potential spread of COVID-19 at their public meetings and gatherings are addressed in an adequate manner to avoid health issues and deaths among the population due to COVID-19.
The UN Office in the Kyrgyz Republic
«We also call on the Central Election Commission to insist with political parties that they show sufficient regard to the potential risks of infection of COVID-19 during political party campaigns. If we all physically distance, clean our hands regularly, wear masks, and keep informed, we can collectively break the chains of transmission, especially as countries are getting ready for colder months with flu season,» the organization says.
The Central Election Commission allowed 15 political parties to participate in the elections. The election campaign began on September 4.
President Sooronbai Jeenbekov signed a decree setting date of parliamentary elections. They will be held on October 4.
