The Social Democrats Party was removed from the Bishkek City Council elections. The party member Kadyrbek Atambayev confirmed the information to 24.kg news agency.
According to him, the decision to remove the party from the race was made by the capital’s territorial election commission.
The party is accused of vote buying.
«This decision is illegal. The territorial election commission made it before the end of the investigation, without a trial... You see what is happening to the party leader Temirlan Sultanbekov. He disappeared, the Main Department of Internal Affairs does not provide information on his whereabouts,» Kadyrbek Atambayev said.
He noted that the party will appeal the decision of the territorial election commission.
«Now we are going to the Central Election Commission, we will file a complaint, we do not agree with the decision of the territorial election commission,» he said.
Searches were conducted at the headquarters of Social Democrats political party on November 13, and its leader Temirlan Sultanbekov was taken in for questioning. He was released at 3.30 a.m., and an hour later, at 4:30 a.m., law enforcement officers arrived at the house of Sultanbekov’s parents, put the party leader and his father in a car and took them to the Main Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek.
Irina Karamushkina and Roza Turksever were also taken in for questioning and placed in a temporary detention facility.
The Main Department of Internal Affairs of Bishkek reported that a criminal case had been opened under the article «Vote buying» of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic after an audio recording of a conversation allegedly between the head of the headquarters of the Social Democrats party Irina Karamushkina and a candidate Daniyar Cholponbaev was posted on social media, where they allegedly discussed vote buying in the upcoming elections of deputies of local councils, which will be held on November 17, 2024.
The presidential decree «On the dissolution of local councils and calling the elections of deputies of local councils» was issued on September 6. Elections of deputies of 33 city and 231 rural councils are scheduled for November 17.
