The Rocky Horror Election Show

On July 23 Kyrgyz people have been called to poll station to decide who's going to be their President for next 5 years.

Against all expectations, Presidential Apparatus played a fair and transparent game.


The influential and powerful Central Election Commission allowed 6 candidates to run for election instead of the 1 (or 2, one of them usually with expiry date) which constitutes the traditional Standard Central Asian Election Competition.

All candidates had the chance to use only their money and funds in the campaign, therefore excluding possibility for who's leading some public post to distract public funds for this purpose. Some of them decided to use their personal savings; others spent money coming from their enterprises and business; one invested money from his Party's budget; finally, another one used the Ministry of Finance.

Shangai Cooperation Organization - also very quick in appreciating the regularity of this electoral round before the final results were disclosed - enthusiastically emphasized that all candidates had even opportunity to be visible and reach population all around Kyrgyzstan. The competition was so fair and open that the two major billboards owners in the Country have been able to choose the best offer for their billboards like for any normal tender. The President Party played the best strategy, in the end gaining the "visibility" match and getting to be the only one hanging on those billboards. Those, by pure chance, are 50% owned by the President.

Television and newspapers too played an active role to contribute to citizens' even awareness. For example, One month before the election day some TV in the South refused to broadcast - under payment - our message for the International Day Against Torture: they said they didn't want to interfere with regular electoral campaign process! They're really careful in being neutral. Anyway, we still wonder why they think Torture should be related with elections... or maybe it is?!

Par condicio is also respected among journalists. Some pro-opposition journalists were attacked (one was hospitalized with 12 stab wounds and open fractions of the both arms), while a pro-presidential editor claimed Opposition was planning to kill him. Also in this sector, both factions had even opportunity to compete in a fair and transparent electoral campaign.

Everybody was allowed to vote, and to avoid abstention of people going to the lake election were scheduled on a working day, without calling for holyday. President supporters contributed to this goal convincing people passing by to enter poll station and accomplish their civic duty. Some who would not be able to vote that day were allowed to vote days before, and to avoid double voting a simple system was introduced. They signed their voting sheet on the back.

A said above, everybody was allowed to vote. Our colleague Erlan, Legal Officer and Lawyer, when he went back home in the South to his poll station discovered that they were so concern he could not be able to express his vote, that they found a way for him to vote anyhow. Before his arrival. Then he voted again, of course: they didn't want him to lose this opportunity and to help him they also explained in full details how and where (and who) to vote. The Staff was incredibly kind and caring. He also discovered that his father voted few minutes before his arrival. Erlan was really worried for not having been there in the right moment. He never saw his father since he died two years ago, this would have been a nice opportunity.

Election Day was less smooth than electoral campaign. Opposition complained about irregularities during voting; they said observers reported a sound number of irregularities from all poll stations. When the Central Election Commission decided to hold a meeting to discuss about those irregularities, opposition withdraw from competition before the CEC meeting was over. As a consequence, all observers withdrew from all poll stations leaving international observers and pro-president observers alone. We're sure they did a great job anyhow.

Now that - as already said - Shangai Cooperation Organization and CIS observers said election were a bright example of democracy, the Central Election Commission is trying to analyze if and what went wrong.

The first problem was identified in the OSCE election observer mission. Showing lack of professionalism and expertise, they claimed about a number of irregularities without then producing any evidence.

Also some local NGO who acted as observer are now facing the consequences of their rash behavior. A woman - observer for local NGO - was attacked by a men who beat her and threaten to kill her or her relatives if she would not withdraw allegation of irregularities sh raised during election. This is the clear consequence of a general behavior from some organizations who tend exasperating a situation that would otherwise be peaceful and respectful for everybody.