Presidential Election, 29 October 2000

ODIHR established an Election Observation Mission in Bishkek on 21 September 2000 to observe the presidential election on 29 October.

The final report is based on the findings of 16 long-term observers and experts. It also incorporates the observations of 104 short-term observers who reported from more than 500 of the 2,090 polling stations in 44 of the 53 regional administrative units.

According to the final report: "While democratic development in the Kyrgyz Republic remains comparatively viable, it is increasingly challenged by the failure of authorities to respect the law and a tendency to decrease freedoms afforded to political parties, civil society and the media. In this context, the 29 October 2000 presidential election in the Kyrgyz Republic, despite some positive features, failed to comply with OSCE commitments for democratic elections and failed to reverse the negative trends identified during the parliamentary elections."