The bill was approved in the third reading by the Committee of the Jogorku Kenesh.
The committee dealing with constitutional legislation, state structure, and local self-government supported the initiative that proposes to exempt candidates from liability for the presence of minors at election meetings.
The initiator of this bill was deputy Dastan Bekeshev, who proposed not to impose fines on candidates in cases where teenagers are present at meetings but do not participate in campaigning.
Committee members noted that candidates cannot control the composition of the audience at meetings, especially in rural areas. While cities experience low voter turnout, large groups of people gather at meetings in villages, making it impossible to guarantee the absence of minors among them.
Bekeshev added that candidates do not intentionally bring children to such events. For example, if a woman comes to a meeting with a small child, the candidate has no right to ask her to leave.
“If parents cannot leave their children alone and bring them along to listen to the candidate, then he should not be held responsible for that,” the deputy emphasized.
He also noted that opponents often photograph children at meetings and publish these pictures on social media, accusing candidates of campaigning among minors. Because of this, the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums has previously imposed fines on candidates multiple times, including during the 2021 elections.
According to the deputy, the fines could reach up to 7,500 soms.
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