Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Election observation mission

Observation of parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan

Election observation mission

Mission at a glance
    • Head of Mission: Corien Jonker (Netherlands)
    • Core team of 17 staff from 14 participating States
    • 22 long-term observers deployed throughout the country
    • 300 short-term observers to be requested from participating States
Mission schedule
    • 7 September: Opening press conference
    • 10 September: Deployment of long-term observers
    • 6 October: Arrival of short-term observers
    • 7 October: Briefing of short-term observers
    • 8 October: Deployment of short-term observers
    • 10 October: Election day
    • 11 October: Press conference on preliminary findings and conclusions

Following an invitation from Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry, and based on the findings and conclusions contained in the final report published after ODIHR's observation of the 27 June constitutional referendum, ODIHR deployed an election observation mission (EOM) to observe the parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan scheduled for 10 October 2010.

The EOM and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek operate independently under separate mandates.

Long-Term Observation

The EOM, headed by Corien Jonker of the Netherlands, opened on 7 September. The mission consists of a core team of 17 international experts based in Bishkek, and 22 long-term observers who will be deployed throughout the country on 10 September. Members of the core team and long-term observers are drawn from 23 OSCE participating States.

The EOM will assess the parliamentary elections for their compliance with principles for democratic electoral processes, including commitments agreed to by all OSCE participating States, as well as with the national legal framework. Observers will closely monitor campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, the media coverage of the election campaign and the media environment, as well as the resolution of election-related disputes.

Election Day

ODIHR will request the secondment of 300 short-term observers to arrive shortly before election day. They will be deployed in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.

The day after the elections, ODIHR, together with its parliamentary partners, will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the observation mission.

Co-operation with Other Partners

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament are planning to deploy observer delegations for these elections. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office has appointed Mr. Morten Høglund as Special Co-ordinator to lead the OSCE short-term observer mission.

Previous Elections

ODIHR observed parliamentary and presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan in 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2009, as well as the 2010 constitutional referendum.