Central Election Commission signs memorandum with political parties

Bishkek, Sept. 4, 2020 / Kabar /. A Memorandum has been signed today between the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan and the political parties participating in the parliamentary elections, scheduled for Oct. 4, 2020, the CEC press service reported.

The signing was attended by chairwoman of the Central Election Commission Nurzhan Shaildabekova, heads of 13 political parties, representatives of election commissions, self-government bodies, non-governmental and international organizations, the media and civil activists. The memorandum was developed with the technical support of the Westminster Endowment for Democracy, UNDP and Civic Platform PF.

Head of the CEC of Kyrgyzstan Shildabekova said that the Memorandum serves as a Code of Conduct for political parties, the so-called. A "gentlemen's agreement" designed to outline acceptable methods of political struggle, campaigning rules that complement legal provisions. “The purpose of the signing is to help political parties agree on the accepted rules of the game and increase confidence in the electoral process. An innovation of this Memorandum is the voluntary regulation of the behavior of candidates in social media,” she said.

The parties committed themselves to strictly comply with the requirements of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, to comply with the provisions of the legislation on elections and other regulatory legal acts, as well as to conduct an election campaign on the principles of openness and mutual respect, priority of the interests and rights of citizens, and the rule of law.

By signing the document, the parties confirmed their readiness to resolve disputes with political opponents in an open, public discussion on the basis of the law, to observe ethical and moral standards in the election process, to conduct campaigning work without using dirty technologies in relation to each other, to observe the campaign rules established by the legislation on elections.

Today, the election campaign has begun in Kyrgyzstan, which will end on Sept. 2, 2020.