AKIPRESS.COM - The Programme Office in Bishkek supported the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan in organizing a debate on November 28 on the lessons learnt from the October 2017 presidential elections and on issues to further consolidate the country’s electoral system, the OSCE reported.

The event brought together representatives of the key bodies involved in the conduct of the presidential election, including the Parliament and Government of Kyrgyzstan, the election administration, political parties, international organizations and embassies, civil society and the media.

The participants received first-hand information related to electoral legislation, the election administration, the findings of the domestic and international observation missions, and recommendations to improve the electoral system.

“The election process is not a one-day event but a process that starts long before Election Day and continues long after that,” said Pierre von Arx, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. “Such a process is conditional to enhanced co-operation between state institutions, local administration bodies and civil society organizations that actively work to strengthen democracy.”

Nurjan Shaildabekova, Chair of the Central Election Commission, said: “The recent elections have been marked by the introduction of a new model of conducting elections, and the use of voter identification and automated ballot boxes that allowed for the openness and transparency of voting results. We look forward to further collaboration with our partners to implement their recommendations.”

The public dialogue was conducted within the OSCE project on assisting Kyrgyzstan in improving the electoral system, in a partnership with the EU, IFES and UNDP.