Kyrgyzstan's elections: what you need to

know
The economy, living conditions and the threat from Islamist militants are
high on the agenda as the country prepares to go the polls on
Sunday. RFE/RL reports

A
Kyrgyz boy holds a political party flag during an election campaign event at the stadium in Belovodsk. The
country goes to the polls on Sunday. Photograph: Igor Kovalenko/EPA

Bruce Pannier in Bishkek for RFE/RL, part of the New East network-

Saturday 3 October 2015

Its been a decade since the tulip revolution that ousted Kyrgyzstans
authoritarian president Askar Akayev from power. Since then the country
has endured further political upheaval, but has clung to a semblance of
democracy in a region otherwise populated by autocratic governments.
On Sunday the country goes to the polls in the second parliamentary
election since 2010, in which pro-Russian parties look set to retain their

dominance. Heres what you need to know:

The parties
This is the first time the country is using biometric data to guard against
multiple voting and other forms of voter fraud. Concern and suspicion about
how personal data might be used has led some residents to forego the
registration, making them ineligible to take part in the poll.
The parliamentary elections feature 14 political parties competing for 120
seats in the supreme council.
If one were to judge from the visibility of party promotions posters,
banners, flag, car stickers the Social Democratic Party
of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) would be on course to win.
Led by Chynybai Tursunbekov an ardent supporter of president Almazbek
Atambayev and his warm relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin
the party has presented itself as a bulwark of stability and development.
The Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party is also likely to gain seats on Sunday,
thanks to its criticisms of the countrys slow reforms, and its calls to
nationalise the countrys largest gold mine, Kumtor.
Onuguu-Progress party is particularly popular in the countrys rural regions,
thanks to its motto strong regions mean a strong Kyrgyzstan, and its
focus on agriculture as the locomotive of the economy.

A woman reads lists of electors at a polling station in the village of Baytik,

20 km outside the capital Bishkek. Photograph: Vyacheslav
Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images
Will it be democratic?
In terms of voter access to information, the electorates ability to
participate, and the ability of political parties and candidates to spread their
message among voters, the process so far appears to be have been
democratic.
But whether whether the new biometric system proves reliable, the
tabulation of votes transparent and free of allegations of rigging, remains to
be seen.
In previous elections, some parties have alleged vote counts were
tampered with.
Monitors from the OSCEs office for democratic institutions and human
rights described the last parliamentary elections, in 2010, as a further
consolidation of the democratic process, and the organisations monitors
are back this year to monitor Sundays vote.
What are the main issues being debated?
Most of the problems people have been mentioning are connected to the

economy. There is concern about employment, particularly the topic of

migrant Kyrgyz labourers many feel it is a blemish on the country that
citizens have to leave to find decent jobs, while only a fraction of the
500,000 to 800,000 citizens working outside the country are expected to
cast ballots.
Another problem thats often mentioned is the sudden, rapid increase in the
cost of living. This is due mainly to factors outside Kyrgyzstans control
the falling values of the Russian rouble, the Kazakh tenge, and the Chinese
yuan. All three countries are major trade partners with Kyrgyzstan.
There is also a feeling that many of the veteran politicians in Kyrgyzstan
have been around too long and its time for a younger generation to enter
government.

A
man reads information about the candidates for parliament at a polling
station in Belovodsk town. Photograph: Igor Kovalenko/EPA
Whats Kyrgyzstans north-south divide, and how does it affect this vote?
The country is divided by the Tien-Shan mountains. Generally, northern
Kyrgyzstan is the more industrialised region, while the south relies more on
agriculture, is more populous and has a higher number of Muslim citizens.

So far, people in the south appear more enthusiastic about the upcoming
elections and have higher expectations for what the new government can
do, while people in the north seem to be following the campaigning more
closely, and are less optimistic that a new government can do much to
change their living conditions.
Is Russia watching closely?
Russia has little to fear from the outcome, as all the parties regard Russia
as a major partner. It is inconceivable that any new government would
attempt to reduce ties with the Kremlin, especially in light of
Kyrgyzstans recent entry into the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union,
which many see as a chance to improve the countrys rather bleak
economic situation.
Beyond that, there are some security concerns connected to Islamic
extremism, and many view Russia as the countrys best ally if Kyrgyzstan
indeed faces such a threat. Russia currently has a military airbase in the
country, which it says it so fight the advance of radical Islam from
Afghanistan.
Is there any danger of instability?
The Kyrgyz have a history of taking to the streets, and the famous 2005
Tulip Revolution was sparked by fraudulent elections.
The biggest threat this time around is that expectations are so high. If any
new government fails to deliver on campaign promises, or if some scandal
surrounding the elections emerges, the democratic process could be
severely undermined, with the public rejecting the outcome.
Simply put, if the people feel let down after all this excitement and effort,
there will be problems.
That said, Kyrgyzstan is in a difficult situation. Beyond economic woes,
there are problems with electricity and heating, border problems with
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, corruption, and other issues. Even the most free
and fair democratic election wont solve this countrys problems overnight.
A version of this article first appeared on RFE/RL

Posted by Thavam