Publication | Report/Paper

The Good, The Bad and The Uncertain: Commentary on Kyrgyzstan Election Laws of 2011

On October 30, 2011, Kyrgyzstan will hold its first presidential election since the momentous constitutional referendum in June 2010 that established the first parliamentary system in Central Asia.

To address complaints presented in previous elections, new legislation was recently passed in Kyrgyzstan. These revisions represent a positive breakthrough, addressing problems that previously resulted in disenfranchised voters (such as migrants being unable to vote where they currently reside) and skewed results (due to errors in the voter list and instances of multiple voting). The legislation will demand that election administrators, many of them new, at all levels quickly develop the aptitude and professional acumen to effectively implement the law before, during and after Election Day.

To shed light into the new election laws, IFES has put together a briefing paper and visual outline of the 13 main changes being introduced, as well as a document of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the 2011 presidential election. 

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