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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000812 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ ELECTION: OBSERVERS COMMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL 
ELECTION 
 
REF: A. BISHKEK 331 
     ¶B. BISHKEK 809 
     ¶C. BISHKEK 811 
 
BISHKEK 00000812  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: On July 24, international and domestic 
organizations to the July 23 Kyrgyz presidential election 
released their initial findings and observations.  OSCE/ODIHR 
representatives described the July 23 presidential election 
as a "disappointment."  ENEMO and the Alliance of Civic 
Organizations witnessed similar irregularities.  However, the 
CIS and SCO Election Observation Missions concluded that the 
elections were "free and fair."  End Summary. 
 
OSCE/ODIHR MISSION "DISAPPOINTED" 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) Head 
Radmila Sekerinska and Head of the delegation of the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly Consiglio Di Nino held a press 
conference July 24 to announce their preliminary findings and 
conclusions, and to provide additional comments on the 
report.  Di Nino, a Canadian Senator and the Special 
Coordinator of the OSCE short-term observers, said that 
OSCE/ODIHR was "disappointed that the election failed to meet 
OSCE standards."  He noted irregularities such as ballot box 
stuffing, unauthorized individuals directing the precinct 
election commissions, and the obstruction of short-term 
observers from witnessing vote counts.  Sekerinska added that 
"sadly, the conduct did not show progress we were hoping for" 
and that it fell short of meeting key OSCE standards and 
commitments.  She said that the secrecy of the vote was not 
fully respected, media coverage was biased in favor of the 
incumbent, and that the candidates faced an "uneven playing 
field."  Sekerinska said that the EOM would stay in 
Kyrgyzstan for several more weeks to monitor the handling of 
complaints by the government and follow election-related 
legal procedures. 
 
ENEMO CITES SERIOUS VIOLATIONS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U)  The European Network of Election Monitoring 
Organizations (ENEMO) released a statement July 24 noting 
serious violations during voting and vote counting.  ENEMO 
fielded twenty short-term observers from eleven countries to 
observe the voting process.  ENEMO observers witnessed ballot 
box stuffing, multiple voting, and organized pressure on the 
electorate.  As with the OSCE/ODIHR observers, ENEMO 
representatives stated that precinct election commission 
members denied access to vote counting and tabulation.  They 
also saw voters being transported to polling stations and 
forced to vote by men wearing Ak Jol party uniforms.  (Note: 
Ak Jol is the party that backed incumbent President Kurmanbek 
Bakiyev.  End Note.) 
 
DOMESTIC OBSERVERS WITNESS SIMILAR VIOLATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) The Alliance of Civic Organizations, which fielded 
2,886 domestic election observers, concluded that the 
election was marred with irregularities and presented 
numerous examples during their press conference.  Alliance 
observers witnessed ballot stuffing and pressure on voters 
from government officials, primarily in Talas, Chui and Issyk 
Kul Oblasts.  They observed multiple voting, voting by 
election commission members voting for other people, the 
distribution of several ballots to voters, and several 
violations during the vote count.  One of its leaders, Asiya 
Sasykbayeva of Interbilim, stated that the elections were a 
"farce" and that they had "never observed such a great number 
of violations." 
 
CIS AND SCO OBSERVERS: ELECTIONS WERE FREE AND FAIR 
 
BISHKEK 00000812  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5. (U) Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 
and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Election 
Observation Missions reported that the presidential election 
was "open and free."  Head of the CIS mission, Sergey 
Lebedev, stated that the 136 CIS observers had "not observed 
any serious violations of voters' rights."  The SCO mission 
of six observers came to a similar conclusion, reporting that 
the election was "conducted transparently and in line with 
Kyrgyz legislation."  The SCO mission also claimed that 
observers from other organizations came up with similar 
conclusions. 
 GFOELLER