NDI - Kyrgyzstan

17 International Observers to Monitor Elections to Local Councils in Kyrgyzstan | Nov. 23, 2012

fstovall — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:11:39 +0000

17 international observers will monitor the elections to local councils in Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz Central Election Commission (CEC) informed.

Reportedly, the observers from Georgia, Kazakhstan, the National Democratic Institute and the U.S International Republican Institute, the East-West Center, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems from Turkmenistan and the United States have been accredited.

Link to story »

Kyrgyz CEC Registers 6 International Observers for Local Councils’ Elections | Nov. 12, 2012

fstovall — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:01:06 +0000

24 | Link to story »

Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan has registered six international observers for election of deputies to the local councils. The decision was made at today’s session.

According to the head of the Information Policy and International Cooperation Department Toktobolot Zhumaliyev, two observers from Georgia and two from Kazakhstan, one- from the U.S. National Democratic Institute and another- from International Republican Institute of the United States have been registered for the elections in Kyrgyzstan.

Link to story »

Kyrgyzstan NGO Pushes For a More Transparent Parliament

dleonard — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:01:27 +0000

A nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Kyrgyzstan has achieved an initial victory in its long-term effort to push for more transparency in parliament.

The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society last month won the second of two court cases it filed against Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh. A June 7 ruling in Bishkek required members of parliament (MPs) to provide details of their business trips to shed light on how they were using publicly-funded transportation benefits. In an earlier case, filed in February and resolved on May 11, the Bishkek inter-district court ruled that the parliament was required to provide detailed attendance records for each member. The coalition is one of NDI’s main civic partners in Kyrgyzstan and one of the country’s top government watchdog organizations.

The June 7 court case stemmed from concern over how MPs were using state-financed cars and drivers. Although the cars were intended to aid constituent outreach, no information was available to verify that practice. The case was postponed twice, in part because parliament claimed it was too busy to respond to the coalition’s inquiries about business trips.

Kyrgyzstan has long been plagued by corruption, even since the 2010 revolution that overthrew autocratic President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and ushered in a period of democratic reform.

Recent focus groups and public opinion research conducted by NDI and the coalition suggest that corruption in all branches of government, and particularly the judicial system, is still a major concern for citizens. A recent story on Kyrgyzstan’s KG 24 online news reported that in polygraph tests conducted among 110 civil servants, 79 percent were not able to pass the test when asked whether they received illegal income.

Both rulings are a major step toward building a more transparent and accountable parliament, according to Dinara Oshurakhunova, coalition president.

On August 13, a third hearing was held where the Inter-Rayon court of Bishkek required the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic to provide the coalition with information on their actual salaries.

“We hope the court decisions will set a precedent for all citizens and MPs to improve voter access to information on the activity of the parliament,” said Oshurakhunova.

Related:

Published August 6, 2012

Updated August 15, 2012

International Community Should “Loudly Recognize” Reforms in Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Prime Minister Says

fstovall — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:27:43 +0000

Urging greater international investment in Kyrgyzstan, Djoomart Otorbaev, deputy prime minister for economics and investment, asked the international community to “loudly recognize” Kyrgyzstan’s economic and political reforms. Speaking at NDI, he called the reform process “inevitable.”

Left to right: Scott Hubli, NDI director of governance; Djoomart Otorbaev, deputy prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic; Muktar Djumaliev, ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States

Kyrgyzstan has made significant democratic strides since autocratic President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was overthrown in a violent revolution in 2010. Since then, the country has carried out Central Asia’s first peaceful transition of power to current President Almazbek Atambayev. At the April 18 event, Otorbaev discussed the major challenges that Kyrgyzstan continues to face, including the need to build governance systems that are more accountable to citizens.

One challenge is reforming the judicial system to ensure equal treatment of all citizens under the law. “Kyrgyzstan faces a dilemma,” Otorbaev said. “Pick experienced people for the courts and they are likely corrupt; pick new people and they will have too little experience to be judges.”

He cited corruption as the main reason why citizens mistrust the state and described a 100-day program put forward by the government for anti-corruption reforms. The reforms—all told about 80—include measures to limit contact between government inspectors and businesses to reduce opportunities for bribery; eradicate organized crime; eliminate immunity for all public officials; and create a new merit-based state service to fight economic crimes.

“These efforts,” Otorbaev said, “will also double the size of the Kyrgyz economy—now worth $5.5 billion—within five years.” There is some debate in Kyrgyzstan about whether the 100-day plan, which ended April 21, has been successful, but the reforms demonstrate a commitment to improving governance.
The anti-corruption program is just the beginning, Otorbaev said. Among other sectors the government hopes to reform are the judiciary, police and infrastructure.

Otorbaev called on the international community to provide swift financial and technical assistance to Kyrgyzstan as it takes on these challenges. In particular, he cited the success of international assistance to Georgia in combatting corruption. “Why not provide the same level of assistance to Kyrgyzstan?” he said, promising to raise the question with officials at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Since 1996, NDI has fostered the development of democratic political parties, parliament, civil society and media in Kyrgyzstan. An April 10 episode of Jany Bashat—an NDI-sponsored televised public debate program—discussed the 100-day action plan, where citizens called in to the televised discussion and also offered their opinions through Jany Bashat’s Facebook page.

Since 1999, NDI has produced televised political issue debates in partnership with Kyrgyz television and radio stations. These shows funded by USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.K. Department for International Development and other donors—reach approximately 300,000 people each week. The program has helped increase awareness of constitutional reform, elections, women’s rights, economic reforms and more.

Related:

Published June 7, 2012

Kyrgyzstan: Women Leadership Advocates Win NDI Albright Grant | March 19, 2012

fstovall — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:18:51 +0000

Women News Network | Link to story »

o support greater engagement for women’s leadership inside the expanding political terrain in Kyrgyzstan, the NDI – National Democratic Institute will be hosting a luncheon to celebrate the Albright grant award for supporting democracy in action to bring women into the process.

With celebrity studded hosts that include PBS News Hour moderator Judy Woodruff, former United States Secretary of State Madeline K. Albright, current Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the State Department Melanne Verveer and U.S. Congresswoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the award ceremony will highlight the work of women in Kyrgyzstan, a region that is seldom covered by the western media.

Link to story »

Rep. Wasserman Schultz Says Women’s Voices Are Crucial to Democracy at NDI’s Madeleine K. Albright Awards Luncheon

rrunyan — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:51:52 +0000

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) delivered the keynote address at a March 22 luncheon honoring the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan, the 2012 recipient of the Madeleine K. Albright Grant awarded by NDI.

In her address, Wasserman Schultz challenged women to take the lead. “Too often, women don’t speak up,” Wasserman Schultz said. “But women's voices are crucial to democracy.”

The luncheon, hosted by NDI Chairman Albright, at the Ritz Carlton also featured remarks from Melanne Verveer, the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues.

“When women are discriminated against in the political arena, their experiences, talents and perspectives are shut out of policy decisions,” Verveer said. “Our democracies are worse off for it and the prospects for a better world are certainly short changed.”

Verveer presented the Albright grant to Dinara Aitkulova, chair of the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan, and introduced a short documentary detailing the work of the club.

The Discussion Club, launched with NDI support in 2006, was one of the first groups in Kyrgyzstan to bring together women from diverse backgrounds and political parties to defend the rights and interests of women nationwide. The women will use the award’s $25,000 grant to form a coalition of political party women’s wings to advocate on behalf of women’s rights within the legislature and their respective parties.

Watch the video from the luncheon

“The Women’s Discussion Group from Kyrgyzstan is precisely the kind of innovative and grassroots organization that can help to make real democracy possible,” Albright said. “When women have the power to make their own economic and social choices – the cycle of poverty can be broken, environmental awareness increases, rates of sexually-transmitted disease decline, and constructive values are more likely to be passed on to the young.”

The award luncheon was preceded by a panel discussion on women in politics featuring Albright; Winnie Byanyima, director of the gender team at the United Nations Development Programme; Donald Steinberg, deputy administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development; and Anders B. Johnsson, secretary general of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. NDI Vice-President Shari Bryan moderated the panel.

The panelists shared their experiences that have demonstrated both the progress women have gained in politics and the room for growth. They agreed that political parties can be a vehicle for equal participation as long as the parties are internally democratic.

"We were talking to women, telling them to work harder, bang on more doors,” said Byanyima, a former member of parliament in Uganda who led its women’s caucus. “Now we're asking parties to open those doors."

At the event, NDI and the UNDP released a joint publication entitled "Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties." The guide provides strategies for those who work in and with political parties to increase women's political participation as candidates, party members, leaders and office holders.

Related:

Rep. Wasserman Schultz to Deliver Keynote Address at NDI’s Madeleine K. Albright Awards Luncheon

rrunyan — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:34:22 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/13/2012

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

English

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Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan Awarded 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

ntekeei — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:43:43 +0000

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) announced today that it will award its 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant to the Women’s

Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan. The Discussion Club, launched with NDI support in 2006, was one of the first groups in Kyrgyzstan to bring together women from diverse backgrounds and political parties to defend the rights and interests of women nationwide.

NDI announced today that it will award its 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant to the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan.

In 2010, the club was instrumental in supporting women candidates for parliament, and it has organized citizens around key issues, including a successful campaign to halt the legalization of polygamy. The group plans to advocate for stronger quota laws that would increase the number of women in parliament and local government.

The Discussion Club will use the award’s $25,000 grant in these new initiatives and to form a coalition of political party women’s wings to advocate on behalf of women’s rights within the legislature and their respective parties.

“If Kyrgyzstan is to realize its full democratic potential, women must be equal and active partners in shaping society,” said Susan Markham, NDI’s director for women’s political participation.

The Madeleine K. Albright Grant supports community-based organizations that create greater roles for women in political and civic life. It is part of NDI’s Win with Women Global Initiative, which promotes women’s political leadership worldwide. The Albright Grant is made possible through the generosity of the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation. NDI is deeply grateful to the foundation for its steadfast commitment to the Institute’s political participation programs for women.

Winners of the Albright Grant, which was established in 2005, are selected from a competitive pool of applicants seeking to promote women's participation in civic or political life. The 2011 grant was awarded to Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development (ACT), a women’s rights organization from Egypt, which is using the grant to help organizations and women leaders identify and advocate for women as Egypt works to develop a new constitution and transition to a democratic government.

Other past winners are the Departmental Network of Chocó Women of Colombia (Red Departmental de Mujeres Chocoanas), the Women’s League of Burma, the Indonesian Women’s Political Caucus (KPPI), the Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone.

Read more:

Published Jan. 26, 2012

Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan Awarded 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

ntekeei — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:38:05 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/26/2011

Resource Type:

Press Releases

Language:

English

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Preliminary Report of the Statistically-Based Observation of the Kyrgyzstan 2011 Presidential Elections

ntekeei — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:37:53 +0000

Author:

The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/31/2011

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

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Third Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011

ntekeei — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:45:24 +0000

Author:

The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/23/2011

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

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Second Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011

ntekeei — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:43:01 +0000

Author:

The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/04/2011

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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First Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011

ntekeei — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:39:46 +0000

Author:

The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

09/26/2011

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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Importance of Authentic Elections and Unhindered Election Observation Stressed at OSCE Warsaw Meeting

fstovall — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:03:47 +0000

Statements on the importance of genuine, competitive elections, the need for election observation and follow up were presented last week on behalf of the United States by Patrick Merloe, NDI’s director of electoral programs, at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Warsaw, Poland.

At the opening plenary session of the Warsaw meeting. Photo by OSCE/Piotr Markowski

The gathering, which brings together hundreds of government representatives, human rights activists and international experts, is considered the most important human rights event of the year in the OSCE region. Merloe was a public member of the U.S. delegation, which was led by Ambassador David Johnson.

Merloe presented the two statements on Sept. 30. The first noted that “free and fair elections are a necessary part of a healthy democracy” but added that “technically well-run polling does not mean that the election process is democratic." He emphasized that “a genuine electoral process also requires an open pre-election environment in which citizens can participate fully, political parties can operate freely, independent media can flourish, and an independent judicial system operates effectively.” The statement assessed the character of recent elections in several OSCE countries, including negative elections in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and generally positive elections in Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Macedonia.

The second statement addressed the importance of the overall election environment in determining whether an election meets OSCE standards and concluded by stressing that, "The United States supports OSCE election observation. ... We also believe that follow-up to recommendations made by the observer mission is very important."

Merloe also responded to a question from the chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission, who was speaking for the Russian delegation, about why observers are needed. "The Copenhagen Document [which contains OSCE commitments on democratic elections] and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide a clear answer,” Merloe said. “They both say that the authority of government derives from the will of the people expressed in genuine elections. So, citizens, in effect, own elections, because that is where sovereignty truly resides. Citizens have the right to know that their elections are genuine. Hence, domestic observers are needed."

Read more:

Published Oct. 5, 2011

Citizens’ Attitudes in the Lead-up to the 2011 Kyrgyzstan Presidential Elections

fstovall — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:49:13 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/03/2011

Resource Type:

Focus Group Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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NDI - Kyrgyzstan

17 International Observers to Monitor Elections to Local Councils in Kyrgyzstan | Nov. 23, 2012

Kyrgyz CEC Registers 6 International Observers for Local Councils’ Elections | Nov. 12, 2012

Kyrgyzstan NGO Pushes For a More Transparent Parliament

International Community Should “Loudly Recognize” Reforms in Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Prime Minister Says

Left to right: Scott Hubli, NDI director of governance; Djoomart Otorbaev, deputy prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic; Muktar Djumaliev, ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States

Kyrgyzstan: Women Leadership Advocates Win NDI Albright Grant | March 19, 2012

Rep. Wasserman Schultz Says Women’s Voices Are Crucial to Democracy at NDI’s Madeleine K. Albright Awards Luncheon

Watch the video from the luncheon

Rep. Wasserman Schultz to Deliver Keynote Address at NDI’s Madeleine K. Albright Awards Luncheon

Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan Awarded 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan Awarded 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

Preliminary Report of the Statistically-Based Observation of the Kyrgyzstan 2011 Presidential Elections

Third Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011

Second Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011

First Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011

Importance of Authentic Elections and Unhindered Election Observation Stressed at OSCE Warsaw Meeting

At the opening plenary session of the Warsaw meeting. Photo by OSCE/Piotr Markowski

Citizens’ Attitudes in the Lead-up to the 2011 Kyrgyzstan Presidential Elections

First Preliminary Report on the Results of Long-Term Observation of the Election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 30, 2011