Presidential Election, 23 July 2009

Following an invitation from the Kyrgyz authorities and following the recommendation of a needs assessment mission, ODIHR deployed an election observation mission on 8 June to observe the presidential election on 23 July.

Headed by Radmila Sekerinska, the mission consisted of 11 core team experts and 24 long-term observers from 21 participating States. For election day, 277 short-term observers from 39 OSCE participating States were deployed.

According to the mission's final report: "The 23 July 2009 presidential election in the Kyrgyz Republic failed to meet key OSCE commitments for democratic elections, in particular the commitment to guarantee equal suffrage, to ensure that votes are reported honestly and that political campaigning is conducted in a fair and free atmosphere as well as to maintain a clear separation between party and state. The field of presidential candidates offered a genuine choice to voters and the continuing engagement of civil society provided an important element of transparency and accountability. Notwithstanding these positive elements, public confidence in the electoral process remains a fundamental challenge."

For election-day observation, the mission had also joined efforts with a 28-member delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.