Joint Opinion on the Draft Electoral Law of the Kyrgyz Republic

In March 2014 the authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic asked the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) to provide an opinion on the draft law “On Elections in the Kyrgyz Republic” (hereinafter “the draft law”, CDL-REF(2014)014), giving particular consideration to the draft law’s compatibility with international standards and OSCE commitments in three areas: establishment of electoral districts under the proportional representation system, preference voting, and quotas for women and persons belonging to national minorities on lists of candidates. As these three areas have been specifically identified in the request for this joint opinion, they are addressed under the discussion on the electoral system for the distribution of parliamentary mandates. The OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission decided to provide a joint legal opinion on the draft Code.