Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 9 / Trend E. Ostapenko /
Tomorrow's parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan will be crucial for the country's future and difficult tasks await those elected, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister and Secretary of State Kanat Saudabayev said at an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting today.
"I would like to urge once again the Kyrgyz authorities and all political forces of that country to ensure that the democratic will of the people is reflected to the full extent and to exercise responsibility and wisdom in the post-election period," he said in a speech delivered at a Conference on the fight against transnational organized crime and corruption, held as part of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's fall meetings.
The regular session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was opened in the Italian city of Palermo on Friday. It will be dedicated to the fight against organized crime and corruption. The session involved 350 delegates from 56 OSCE countries.
Noting that the OSCE had already contributed significantly to restoring calm in Kyrgyzstan after the country's crisis earlier this year, Saudabayev said that much remained to be done in the country, he said.
"The agenda for the new government includes the solution of existing problems and rebuilding what has been destroyed. I am talking not only about the settlements in the south of the country but also about the entire infrastructure of the government, as well as the rebuilding of social cohesion and trust between ethnic groups," he said.
The parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan are scheduled for Sunday. These elections will be another step in legitimizing the powerful institutions, emerging after the overthrow of President Bakiyev in April.
About 29 parties were registered at the CEC. According to the new Constitution, after electing Jogorku Kenesh (unicameral parliament), Kyrgyzstan will become a parliamentary republic. The president will have only representational functions. Prime-Minister, appointed by a parliamentary majority, will have actual authority over the republic.
There are about 2.86 million people in the lists of voters. There is no threshold for voter turnout in the Kyrgyz legislation.
The numerous observers from ODIHR / OSCE, SCO, CSTO and CIS will observe the electoral process.
The situation in Kyrgyzstan will be discussed at the OSCE Summit, to be held in Astana on December 1-2, Saudabayev said.
The summit will be held on December 1-2 and will bring together the presidents and heads of governments of 56 member-states and 12 OSCE partner-countries, as well as heads of 68 international organizations.
The OSCE Summits were held at top level six times since the organization was established in 1975. The OSCE last summit was held in Istanbul in 1999.