… is the name of an NGO (in Russian: ‘За честные выборы’), founded some several weeks ago to follow and observe the election campaigns of the six candidates for the presidency of the Kyrgyz Republic. The announced goal is to deliver to the average citizen trustworthy information about the activities of the would-be presidents. Today For Fair Elections (FFE) presented its first report about the candidates’ campaigns which started roughly a week ago.
Some notions in this report deserve a closer look. The NGO activists Torobek Pratov and Gul’mira Baratbaeva provide a picture that puts the ongoing presidential race in bright light. Especially incumbent president Kurmanbek Bakiev, the future winner of this race (without any doubt), receives positive covering in the report. His rally attracts thousands of supporters, in Dzhalal Abad alone 12 ooo people followed his speech. While campaigning the southern provinces (Dzhalal-Abad, Osh, Batken), Bakiev reportedly does not rely on administrative resources (the euphemism for the resorting of incumbents to state administration in achieving political (in this case electoral) gains). On the other side of the electoral race the opposition candidates Almazbek Atambaev and Temir Sariev are allegedly exaggerating the numbers of followers; in case of the Ak-Shumkar (White Falcon) boss Sariev, 1000 supporters dwindle down to 25-30 in the report of FFE.
At the press-conference the activists of FFE hold that the complaints of the opposition candidates about obstacles put in front of them by local authorities and local judges do not conform with the facts. In this case Pratov refers to information posted on Atambaev’s website where the campaign organizers complain about obstructions put in their way by local officials in the Toktogul and Kara-Suu Rayony.
What makes me doubt about the trustworthiness of these reports is the form of their presentation. First of all, the report seems not to be available in written form, only a press conference is held to spread some information. Secondly, no information about the methods used to cover the campaign and gather information are provided (in contrast, for example, to the well-researched reports of the Early Warning for Violence Prevention Project from FTI in 2006 and 2007 (btw., does anybody know, if they are still available somewhere in the Internet???)). And thirdly, I couldn’t find more information about partners, financiers and supporters of the NGO For Fair Election. That’s all a bit too nontransparent for my taste.
If anybody has more information about FFE please share. I’d appreciate it. Reporting that Bakiev is not using administrative resources for his campaign seems to be too far from Kyrgyz political realities; as well as stating that local administrations are not trying to hinder oppositional candidates. Today supporters of Green Party leader Erkin Bulekbaev finally made the Ombudsman office to make an official statement, in which local authorities’ decisions in the Moscow Rayon (in the north of the country) to deny rallies in support of the politician were condemned. I would like to remember that Bulekbaev is a member of the United People’s Opposition movement and surely would contribute to Atambaev’s campaign. However, since he was accused of steering ethnic unrest in the village of Petrovka some weeks ago he is hold in custody and politically ‘immobilized’ (so to speak). So much for the non-involvement of local administrations and the non-use of administrative resources.
But ok, I am open for more information about the NGO For Fair Elections and ready to change my opinion. Does somebody know more about it?
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