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RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 000331 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FOCUS OF MEETING WITH 
ELECTION COMMISSION 
 
REF: A. BISHKEK 195 
     ¶B. 08 BISHKEK 1017 
 
BISHKEK 00000331  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  At an April 7 meeting hosted by the OSCE 
and attended by the Ambassador, Kyrgyz Central Election 
Commission Chairman Damir Lisovsky pledged that the July 23 
Kyrgyz Presidential election would comply with international 
standards.  Lisovsky indicated international and domestic 
observers would be permitted to observe the election, but 
questioned whether NDI and IRI would be eligible to sponsor 
field observers.  He demurred when asked about observer 
accreditations procedures and said that details would be 
published within ten days.  He cited a 2002 CIS Chisinau 
Convention as setting guidelines for the election, which he 
said were "similar" to more widely recognized OSCE standards. 
 Lisovsky claimed the computerized "Shailoo" vote tabulation 
system would be operational and used for this election.  An 
OSCE ODIHR team will conduct a needs assessment in late 
April.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, Head of the Organization 
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Center in 
Bishkek, hosted Damir Lisovsky, Chairman of the Kyrgyz 
Central Election Commission (CEC), for an April 7 discussion 
with diplomats from OSCE member countries, USAID 
implementers, and a local NGO alliance regarding the July 23 
Kyrgyz Presidential election.  The Ambassador, accompanied by 
Emboff and a USAID representative, attended the meeting. 
 
Pledges and Reflections 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Tesoriere highlighted the importance of free and 
fair elections, and reminded attendees that the OSCE Office 
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) had 
issued a series of recommendations following the (flawed) 
2007 Kyrgyz Parliamentary elections, which aimed to align 
Kyrgyz electoral procedures with the country's international 
commitments.  Lisovsky pledged to oversee elections that 
complied with international standards, and his CEC colleague 
claimed that the CEC had fulfilled "most" of the ODIHR 
recommendations. 
 
Invitations Pending 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Lisovsky said the CEC planned to accredit 
international observers who receive invitations from the 
Kyrgyz President, Parliament, or CEC, "in the volume 
permitted."  When the German Ambassador pressed for details, 
Lisovsky said that the CEC had not finalized invitation 
procedures and pledged that details would be published within 
ten days.  Lisovsky added that the accreditation process 
would begin two months prior to the election and would end 
four days before the July 23 election.  He was vague 
regarding accreditation for domestic Kyrgyz organizations as 
election observers.  (Comment:  A recently shelved 
legislative initiative would have restricted domestic NGO 
monitoring of elections, ref A.  It is not clear if this 
legislation will be resurrected prior to the election.  End 
comment.)  A Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative 
outlined standards of conduct for international observers, 
and noted that foreign journalists who receive credentials 
would enjoy the same rights as local journalists. 
 
Setting Boundaries 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) When Lisovsky declared that the election would be 
held in accordance with international standards, he cited, 
among other guidelines, a Commonwealth of Independent States 
convention signed in Chisinau in 2002.  Although he could not 
 
BISHKEK 00000331  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
describe the convention in detail, he said it was "similar" 
to OSCE standards.  Lisovsky reviewed criteria Presidential 
candidates must meet, to include 15-year residency in the 
Kyrgyz Republic, "good" knowledge of the state language 
(Kyrgyz), and no foreign citizenship.  A local activist 
challenged Lisovsky over CEC methodology for testing language 
skills.  Lisovsky also said candidates must present 
signatures from 50,000 voters hailing from all regions of the 
country, and pledged that the CEC would review the signature 
lists within five days of submission. 
 
Addressing Past Problems 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) When challenged about shortcomings in the 2007 
Parliamentary elections, Lisovsky assured attendees that the 
"Shailoo" computerized vote tabulation system would be 
operational, and that observers would be protected.  Another 
CEC representative asked meeting participants "not to 
associate the past with the future," a likely reference to 
previous flawed Kyrgyz elections.  (Comment:  In the 2007 
Parliamentary election, the CEC claimed the Shailoo system 
was not functioning, and the CEC never reported results at 
the precinct level.  End Comment.) 
 
ODIHR Team 
---------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Another OSCE official, Dr. Oleg Semenenko, reviewed 
plans for an ODIHR evaluation mission to visit the Kyrgyz 
Republic April 22-25.  The mission, he explained, would meet 
with government, media, NGO and other representatives, and 
would recommend whether ODIHR observation of the election 
would be "reasonable."  Tesoriere tried to assure a curious 
CEC official that a "reasonable" determination is standard 
practice.  Semenenko concluded that OSCE member states would 
likely be solicited for additional funding to support an 
ODIHR observation team. 
 
Election Assistance Options 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) USAID implementers as well as Kyrgyz Alliance of 
Civic Organizations (ACO) members informed attendees of 
existing and potential activities relating to the 
Presidential election.  IFES representative Dan Malinovich 
described training for 160 judges on adjudicating election 
disputes, and offered, pending funding availability, to 
expand this program.  He suggested training an estimated 
20,000 election commission members and possible voter 
education efforts.  NDI's Scott Kearin discussed existing 
political party work, and mentioned possible poll watcher 
training and observation cooperation with the ACO.  IRI's 
Peter Sondergaard noted planned public opinion polling and 
observer training.  Lisovsky voiced surprise when IRI and NDI 
both mentioned the possibility of sending observers, and 
asked his CEC staff, "Can they do that?"  The Ambassador 
heard staff members respond that "theoretically they could," 
but intimate that they could be stymied if the need was there 
to do so. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) ACO representatives said they already had 100 
long-term observers working, and hoped to have observers at 
all polling sites.  ACO suggested a joint conference with CEC 
for political parties and mass media on how the election will 
be conducted.  In addition, ACO requested that future CEC 
meetings be open to the public.  (Note: This one was open to 
journalists.  End note.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
 
BISHKEK 00000331  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶10.  (SBU) With media and representatives of OSCE member 
states like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Russia present, 
discussion was fairly limited.  Although Lisovsky pledged 
that the CEC would ensure a fair campaign in accordance with 
international standards, past practice has not conformed to 
such standards.  Lisovsky's predecessor, Klara Kabilova, who 
oversaw the flawed 2007 constitutional referendum and 
Parliamentary elections, in turn complained of political 
pressure on her before fleeing the country in the run-up to 
the October 2008 local elections (see Ref B).  Although 
Kyrgyz authorities have revised other election-related 
procedures relatively quickly, to include eliminating the 
requirement for marking voters' thumbs with indelible ink 
after voting, the delays in finalizing procedures for 
election observers require continued scrutiny. 
GFOELLER