The ‘Union of Civil Organizations’, a coalition of Kyrgyz Human Rights NGOs, issued a statement concerning an early voting process taking place in one of the capitals Rayony, the Sverdlovskii Rayon. In general some selected groups of people, like military personnel or emergency doctors, have the right to vote ahead of the schedule cause they are expected to fulfill their duty on the day of election. In the polling station of the Sverdlovskii Rayon, it seems, other organizations except for the selected ones, ordered their employees to vote earlier.
The report by the Union lists a wide set of violations of the election code, including illegal voting and illegal interference with observers’ activities by state officials. The Union tells about employees from the nationwide operating Telekom voting in Sverdlovskii Polling Station and it reports about police-representatives hindering the observers from entering the polling station (to observe such violations) . It even mentions the illegal detention of observers in spared rooms within the building (Akimiat I suppose) and the illegal confiscation of equipment (camera).
A friend of mine, accompanying an international observer who was sent for by the local NGO activists, witnessed the scene and confirms the illegal activities of the representatives of the state security agencies. He tells the story of one trusted representative of presidential candidate Almaz Atambaev, who wanted to enter and first was allowed to do so. On a second thought, the policemen asked him whom he is representing. Naming Atambaev they stopped him from entering and ordered him to wait. Does one need more signs of blatant facts of election manipulation by the incumbent powers? One can only hope that such news travel fast and stir up the public.
For a pdf- version of the report follow the link: Союз Гражданских Организаций
