PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION

CONCLUSION of the group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly at the elections to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic (October 4, 2020)

Regular election of deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic of the 7th convocation took place on October 4, 2020 in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai JEENBEKOV of July 3, 2020. By the invitation of Dastanbek DJUMABEKOV, Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, of June 17, 2020 (letter Ref. No. 6-2351n/20) and by the instruction of the Chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Vyacheslav VOLODIN, a monitoring group of international observers was formed in order to carry out short-term monitoring of the election of deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic of the 7th convocation. Konstantin ZATULIN, deputy Chairperson of the of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Committee on the CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, was appointed coordinator of the group. The group included deputies and representatives of the supreme legislative bodies of the CSTO Member States: Viktor KOGUT, deputy Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council and plenipotentiary representative of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus to the IPA CIS and the CSTO PA; Bakytzhan ZHUMAGULOV, member of the Committee on Social and Cultural Development and Science of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of ; Arman KOZHAKHMETOV, member of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Yury FEDOROV, first deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Federation Committee on Economic Policy; Burkhoniddin JABBORY, deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Social Issues, Health Protection, Science, Education, Culture and Youth and Women’s Policy of the Majlisi Milli of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan. The group also included representatives of the CSTO PA Secretariat: Sergei POSPELOV, CSTO PA Executive Secretary; Gleb BOKHANOVICH, counsellor at the Expert and Analytical Department, secretary of the CSTO PA Standing Commission on Political Affairs and International Cooperation; Aleksandr NOVIKOV, counsellor at the Support Department of the CSTO PA Secretariat. The International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (hereinafter referred to as the IPA CIS IIMDD) and the CSTO PA Secretariat provided methodological assistance to the group. The group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly based its work on the principles of political neutrality, objectivity, non- interference in the electoral process and compliance with the electoral legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic. International observers relied on the Convention on Standards of Democratic Election, Voting Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (October 7, 2002, Chisinau), other universal and regional international standards concerning the observance of electoral rights and international monitoring of elections and referenda. The group of international observers took into account the results of the long-term monitoring carried out by the IPA CIS IIMDD, including the analysis of the electoral legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic with regard to its compliance with the principles of the Convention on Standards of Democratic Election, Voting Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as other international obligations of the Kyrgyz Republic regarding electoral law and electoral observation; organization of the election of deputies by the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic; coverage of the preparation and conduct of the election by the print and electronic media of the Kyrgyz Republic; conditions of media access during the campaign; general progress of the election campaign. Members of the group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly note that the preparation and conduct of the election of deputies to the parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic was organized in full compliance with the requirements of the electoral legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic. In total, 2,475 electoral commissions were organized for the election of deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic. Moreover, in order to ensure the electoral rights of Kyrgyz citizens who were abroad on the day of voting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic had established 54 polling stations. Almost all polling stations were equipped with video surveillance systems and were accessible to physically challenged citizens. Notably, the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic provided training to members of territorial and precinct electoral commissions and published methodological manuals for territorial and precinct electoral commissions, as well as for public observers. The official website of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic had published documents regulating and explaining the procedures related to the election of deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, information about the meetings of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic and the decisions taken at these meetings, as well as a large amount of information, reference and explanatory materials. In particular, at a meeting on July 4, 2020, the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic adopted the timeframe for the preparation and conduct of the election of deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh scheduled for October 4, 2020. According to this timeframe, the first stage of preparation was establishing the polling stations and forming the voter lists. According to official data, the total number of voters in the state was 3,523, 554. Compared to the previous parliamentary elections of 2015, the number of voters increased by 624,240. Voters could check their name in the preliminary voter lists at the state portal www.tizme.gov.kg from July 16, 2020 or at the corresponding polling stations from July 26, 2020. In case of any error, inaccuracy or absence in the list, or in case a voter needed to change the polling station to the one closest to them on the day of voting, from July 26 to September 20, 2020 voters had the right to apply in the established form to the precinct electoral commission (after identification) or in electronic form through the voter’s page at the portal www.tizme.gov.kg (after authorization). Submission of the lists of candidate deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh began on the day the election was called and ended 45 calendar days before the election day, i.e. on August 20, 2020. Registration of the list of candidate deputies lasted until September 4, 2020. Campaigning was held from September 4 to 8:00 a.m. of October 3, 2020. Within the same period, the parties were provided with paid airtime for campaigning and special places on the premises of each polling station for displaying campaign materials; their right to campaign and meet voters was ensured. At the same time, the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic published all necessary information on its website, thus ensuring access of every voter to the lists of candidates and parties’ programmes. Information on the receipt and spending of the election funds was also published there. Ballot papers in the state and official languages, as well as in Braille, were printed before September 28. Organization and conduct of voting outside the polling station was held one calendar day before the voting day from 8:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. on October 3, 2020. The main voting was held on October 4, 2020 from 08:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. Election results shall be determined no later than 20 days after voting (before October 25, 2020). It should be pointed out that before the announcement of the parliamentary elections, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai JEENBEKOV had signed the amendments to the law on the election of deputies to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, according to which the threshold for political parties participating in the country’s election was lowered from 9% to 7%. After considering the submitted documents, the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic registered candidates from 16 parties. The process of submission and registration of candidates was completed within the time period established by law. All necessary conditions for candidates’ pre-election campaigning had been created. Detailed and objective media coverage, including by leading TV channels, provided information support for the election. No instances of restricting candidates’ access to the media for political or other reasons or interference in the course of their election campaigning were identified. Candidates, for instance, took part in mandatory pre-election debates. No violations of the current legislation by the candidates participating in the election or their staff were identified. Electoral commissions of all levels acted in accordance with the timeline approved by the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic. On October 3, 2020 members of the group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly visited the election headquarters of the parties Unity, Ata Meken and Respublika in Bishkek and met with their leadership. These meetings addressed the issues of both preparation and conduct of the election campaign within the state and abroad. On October 4, international observers visited 30 polling stations in Bishkek. International observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly were present at various stages of voting: from the opening of polling stations to vote counting by precinct electoral commissions. Polling stations were opened in due time and had all necessary documents, equipment and information materials. At the polling stations, international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly did not register any complaints about the quality of preparation of voter lists, the procedure for issuing ballots or the voting process. Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic and electoral commissions had created all necessary conditions for effective work of international observers. Notably, during the preparation and conduct of the election, the public order was very well maintained, which enabled the voters to express their will freely. While noting the high professional level of preparation of the election, international observers found several technical deficiencies in the voting process at certain polling stations that do not affect the outcome of the voting, namely: at the polling station No. 1030, due to overheating the automatic ballot counting and identification system malfunctioned; at the polling station No. 1031, some observers from the parties had no identification cards; at the polling station No. 1215, in several cases voters were not in the voting lists, but the issue was resolved on the spot by the precinct commission’s chairperson. Conclusions: 1. The national electoral legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic is the basis for conducting democratic elections to the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2. Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic and the precinct electoral commissions of the Kyrgyz Republic have done significant work to prepare and conduct the election, which includes ensuring election campaigning on equal terms in accordance with the current legislation. Participation in the election campaign of candidates from 16 political parties, movements and public organizations emphasizes its competitive, democratic and open nature. 3. Mass media provided citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic with necessary information about candidates and provisions of their election programmes concerning the key issues of state building, economic and social aspects, foreign policy and national security. 4. To exercise their rights, candidates for deputies and observers from political parties, movements and public organizations were provided with all necessary conditions stipulated by the electoral legislation. 5. The free expression of the will of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic during the voting was ensured. 6. The election was characterized by broad and representative participation of international and public observers (277 people from 43 countries, representing 35 international organizations). During the organization and conduct of the election, the observers’ high status was ensured and they were provided with the necessary assistance for effective work. 7. Preparation and conduct of the election were carried out in accordance with the procedure stipulated by the electoral legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic and the norms of international electoral law. Members of the CSTO PA international group of observers:

K. ZATULIN

V. KOGUT

B. ZHUMAGULOV

A. KOZHAKHMETOV

Y. FEDOROV

B. JABBORY

S. POSPELOV

G. BOKHANOVICH

A. NOVIKOV

October 4, 2020, Bishkek