At the meeting, the president emphasized his gratitude to international observers for their participation in monitoring the early elections of deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic. A total of 788 observers from 58 countries arrived in Kyrgyzstan.
The president noted that such a significant number of observers indicates a high interest from the international community in the political events in the country.
He expressed confidence that the objective assessments and recommendations of the observers would help identify shortcomings that might have gone unnoticed and determine steps to strengthen democratic institutions.
Japarov also reminded about the three coups in Kyrgyzstan that occurred due to an opaque electoral process and emphasized the importance of voting integrity for society.
"Democracy means not only the right to criticize and compete but also a strict adherence to rules and respect for the people's choice," he said.
According to him, significant work has been done in recent years to improve electoral legislation and its implementation.
The head of state noted that the recommendations of international partners, including parliamentary assemblies and authoritative organizations, were taken into account in preparing for the elections.
In particular, digital technologies, biometric voter identification, an automated vote counting system, an online voter registry, and a remote voting system were implemented.
The president added that each voter has the right to vote at any polling station convenient for them.
For example, a resident of the At-Bashinsky district can vote for a candidate from their constituency while in Bishkek or even abroad.
To increase the accessibility of voting for citizens abroad, 100 polling stations were opened, which is significantly more compared to 59 stations in 2021.
Japarov noted that this decision received positive feedback from compatriots, and the number of voters outside the country tripled, reaching 26,000 compared to 9,000 in 2021.
The president also announced plans to implement an online voting system, taking into account identification and security issues.
Moreover, he emphasized that the elections were held under a majoritarian system, which excluded party lists and focused attention on the personal qualities of the candidates.
The chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tynchtyk Shainazarov, noted that the observers presented their conclusions following the elections.
The heads of the observation missions also emphasized that Kyrgyzstan's electoral legislation meets international standards and ensures free and democratic elections.
They noted that the elections were conducted openly, fairly, and competitively, which facilitated the free expression of the citizens' will.
The measures to ensure gender equality were positively assessed, following recent changes in the majoritarian system, which stipulate that no more than two out of three elected deputies can be of the same gender.
The implementation of a remote voting mechanism was also highlighted, allowing citizens to vote at the nearest polling station if they cannot vote at their place of permanent registration. The expansion of the overseas voting network with the establishment of 100 polling stations in 34 countries and 89 cities also contributed to the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
The meeting was attended by leaders of international observation missions, including the head of the mission, the first deputy secretary-general of the CIS, Igor Petrishenko, the head of the mission, Mahmadali Vatanzo, and other high-ranking representatives.
In conclusion, Sadyr Japarov expressed gratitude for the positive assessment of the electoral process and assured that the recommendations of the missions would be taken into account. He added that these elections would serve as a foundation for further strengthening political stability, developing the economy, and improving the lives of citizens.
