Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, July 23 / Trend A. Tanayev /
According to the latest information updates from the automated voting system in the Kyrgyz Central Election Committee, 1 million 328,127 of 2 million 858,544 registered citizens in Kyrgyzstan have already cast their votes. This number of people came to 46.46 percent of the list of the total electorate.
The Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev 's small homeland, the Jalal-abad region, remains in the lead for voter-turnout. Roughly 57.79 percent of people who have electoral rights have already cast their vote. In the Chui region the least people have voted. Their number came to 31.28.
National elections are being held on working days for the first time in the history of independent Kyrgyzstan. Before, all elections and referendums were held on Sundays. Hence a great number of people are expected to come in the evening when the working day is over. Managers of most businesses changed the usual work schedule for the elections. They have prolonged lunch breaks and shifted work opening and closing hours so that employees may fulfill their civil debt easier.
The opposition is strengthening its criticism against the authorities by reporting numerous cases violating election legislation. It was reported that two candidates for president - opposition leader Almazbek Atambayev and the famous doctor of narcology Zhenishbek Nazaraliyev will hold a joint press-conference in an hour. The candidates' staff did not specify what the candidates will talk about. According to unofficial information, Almazbek Atambayev will call on his supporters not to recognize these elections. It has not been ruled out that he may announce launching actions in protest.
In response to these accusations, the Central Election Committee has confirmed that on the whole in Kyrgyzstan no grave violations have been registered. However, members of one of the district election commissions caught one of Almazbek Atambayev's most trusted people having gone to see a staff commission in a state of intoxication. A statement was drawn up and submitted to police.
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