The European Union made a statement on parliamentary elections that were held in Kyrgyzstan on November 28.
It says that these elections were a necessary, long-delayed step on the democratic path of the country after the invalidation of the results by the authorities of the parliamentary elections of October 4, 2020.
Fundamental freedoms and transparency were generally respected.
The European Union supports the preliminary findings and conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission. It concluded that important legislative modifications, including the Constitutional changes that weakened the role of Parliament as well as extensive legislative changes prior to the elections, had a negative effect on a meaningful voter’s engagement.
Despite the fact that the process was peaceful and well-organized, the OSCE/ODIHR highlighted shortcomings, such as vote buying and violations of campaigning procedures. Problems were also noted during the vote count and the initial stages of tabulation.
From the statement of the European Union
The EU encourages the authorities to investigate and explain the technical difficulties related to the tabulation on the election day and take steps to prevent them from occurring in the future.
The European Union takes note of the progress in conducting this vote, compared to the October 2020 parliamentary elections. The recommendations underlined now by the OSCE/ODIHR, as well as the ones issued previously by the OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe’s Venice Commission on the election legislation, should be addressed by the national authorities by further improving procedural aspects and the national legal framework on elections.
The authorities should make further efforts to ensure respect for the rule of law, including all the relevant legislation, on which the conduct of free and fair elections depends.
The European Union encourages the authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic to ensure the independent functioning of the new Parliament, which is necessary to guarantee a well-functioning democracy. As a long-standing partner of the Kyrgyz Republic, the EU remains committed to supporting the new Parliament in promoting the country’s social and economic development, good governance and the rule of law.
Elections of deputies of the seventh convocation of the Parliament have been held in Kyrgyzstan. According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission, six parties get into the Parliament. Winners in single-seat constituencies were also announced. The votes are being counted manually.
