Bishkek, May 18, 2020 / Kabar/. As part of the work carried out by the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda to cover issues related to the electoral process in Kyrgyzstan, Chairwoman of the CEC of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurzhan Shaildabekova held a briefing for ambassadors and representatives of international organizations accredited in Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the CEC reported.
Ambassadors of Great Britain, Germany, Iran, USA, France, Switzerland, Ukraine, Head of the EU Delegation, Head of the OSCE Program Office, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative as well as representatives of embassies of Belarus, Kazakhstan, India, China, Korea, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the event directly or remotely, which was held in compliance with recommendations related to health protection.
Representatives of the diplomatic corps were briefed on the current results of improving the electoral process and changes in the electoral legislation in the Kyrgyz Republic adopted in the implementation of the Strategy for improving the electoral legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2018-2020.
Diplomats were also familiarized with plans to improve the legal culture and the creation of the Center for Civic Education.
Regarding the legislative regulation of the process of appointment or suspension of elections due to emergency situations, Shaildabekova noted that the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic has not regulated the issues of elections in emergency situations. There is a norm in current legislation that elections are not held during the declared state of emergency. Therefore, the CEC has worked to develop such a bill.
“This issue has become new not only for Kyrgyzstan, but also for many other countries around the world. Therefore, the CEC of the Kyrgyz Republic holds consultations with election experts from the European Association of Electoral Bodies, from the OSCE / ODIHR and others. It is planned to exchange information with Korean colleagues who held parliamentary elections on April 15, 2020 in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, under increased measures related to the safety of their citizens,” she said.
At the end of the event, the chairwoman of the CEC of the Kyrgyz Republic expressed gratitude to the governments of Japan, Switzerland and Germany, who allocated funds to implement and support further measures in the framework of the Program for Improving the Democratic Electoral Process in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2020-2021, which is being implemented by UNDP. She also expressed gratitude to the full support of the OSCE in the person of the Program Office in Bishkek and the OSCE / ODIHR, with which they have been consistently implementing measures on inclusiveness, strengthening free election mechanisms and election security. With the support of the OSCE, a strategic document has also been developed to improve election legislation as part of the reform of the democratic electoral system. The CEC chairwoman also stressed the important role of support from the partners of the EU, Japan, Switzerland, Korea, OSCE, UNDP, IFES, and others who supported the fundamental reform of the electoral system of Kyrgyzstan.
International partners expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of the process and expressed their willingness to provide support further.