On Tuesday 12 January, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service stated that the EU welcomes the orderly and well-administered presidential election of 10 January 2021 in the Kyrgyz Republic, but called on the country to work on the failings identified during the elections.
The populist candidate Sadyr Japarov won the ballot in the first round with approximately 80% of the votes. His supporters released him from prison in October, where he was serving a sentence for hostage-taking.
In a statement the spokesperson reiterated the preliminary findings and conclusions of the limited OSCE/ODIHR international election observation mission, noting that candidates faced “an uneven playing field, abuse of administrative resources and violations of campaigning procedures”.
“The Kyrgyz authorities should further improve national legislation on elections by implementing the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR”, he said.
More than 80% of Kyrgyzstani voters supported the introduction of a presidential system of governance in a referendum on 10 January; the EEAS spokesperson hoped that the new constitution would ensure that the presidential system continues to fully respect democratic principles, in line with the country’s international commitments.
The spokesperson also called for legislative elections to be held “as soon as possible”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)