Statement of Public Foundation "Common Cause", Association of Legal Entities "Taza Shailoo Association", “EAGL” Public Foundation, and Public Association "Agency of Social Technologies"
Statement
of Public Foundation "Common Cause", Association of Legal Entities "Taza Shailoo Association", “EAGL” Public Foundation, and Public Association "Agency of Social Technologies" carrying out nonpartisan observation of the parliamentary elections in the Kyrgyz Republic
Public Foundation "Common Cause", Association of Legal Entities "Taza Shailoo Association", “EAGL” Public Foundation, and Public Association "Agency of Social Technologies" carrying out nonpartisan observation of the parliamentary elections in the Kyrgyz Republic, are concerned about the situation shaped after the end of the voting.
The situation related to the display of preliminary results of the voting after 8 p.m. on November 28, 2021, as well as complaints over the continuity and quality of manual counting processes at some polling stations, gave rise to the expression of discontent and mistrust towards the electronic counting system by a number of political parties and other participants of the electoral process. Doubts are raised about the feasibility of smart ballot boxes and the biometric identification of voters.
In this regard, Public Foundation "Common Cause", Association of Legal Entities "Taza Shailoo Association", “EAGL” Public Foundation, and Public Association "Agency of Social Technologies":
1. Welcome the first steps aimed at building a constructive dialogue put forward by the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Citizen Control Committee and supported by political parties and candidates;
2. Support the establishment of an initiative group involving all participants of the electoral process to objectively study the causes of the discrepancies in the display of preliminary voting results, to conduct a metrological audit of smart ballot boxes and vote recount in select polling stations. It is recommended to include international specialists in the composition of the initiative group;
3. Consider the opinions and comments on the abolition of smart ballot boxes unacceptable because the use by the Kyrgyz Republic of smart ballot boxes, the biometric identification, the system of displaying the preliminary results of elections ensure the transparency of electoral processes. This has been achieved through many years of great efforts by the state, civil society and development partners. These technologies have been positively assessed by international partners and observers.
The experience of the Kyrgyz Republic is studied by many countries with the aim of introducing similar technologies in the election processes of these countries.
4. Call on all participants of the electoral process irrespective of their position to make all efforts to overcome this situation and find solutions based on objective conclusions.
For their part, the public monitoring organizations continue monitoring all the processes related to the vote count and tabulation of election results aimed at resolving the current situation. Currently, we are verifying SBB reports and manual counting protocols at all the polling stations where the monitoring was carried out. In case of vote recount in select polling stations, the monitoring organizations will stand ready to send their observers to the specified polling stations.to observe the process.
The citizens of Kyrgyz Republic have the right to get objective information and answers to the questions raised today by political parties, candidates and other participants of election processes.
