Roundtable talks on resolving electoral disputes held in Bishkek

The effective resolution of electoral disputes in Kyrgyzstan was the focus of a roundtable discussion held in Bishkek by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and other partners, on 29 May 2012.

The event brought together about 50 experts, including members of the Central Election Commission, judges, prosecutors, members of parliament, and representatives from the Ministry of Interior and civil society. They addressed remaining challenges to electoral dispute resolution in Kyrgyzstan, particularly on issues of access, transparency, publicity and effective remedy.

“A fair and effective electoral dispute resolution system is at the core of democratic elections, as it protects the fundamental rights to vote and to be elected,” said Benjamin Moreau, the Chief of the ODIHR Rule of Law Unit.

During the discussions, participants shared examples of good practices and lessons learned, and put forward proposals to implement ODIHR recommendations on electoral dispute resolution.

The roundtable discussion was part of ODIHR’s ongoing activities to assist participating States in following up on recommendations made in final reports by the Office’s election observation missions.

The event was also supported by the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission.