Bishkek
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said Monday that a Kyrgyzstan leadership vote which saw a populist cruise to victory lacked “a level playing field” as his campaign overshadowed rivals.
“If Kyrgyzstan is going to live up to the aspirations of its people for a functioning democracy, fully fair competition on a level playing field is critical. This was not the case here,” the OSCE said in a statement, while noting the election and a parallel referendum on government form were “generally well organized”.—APP
