International and domestic election monitoring organizations in Kyrgyzstan, working closely with NDI, fielded observers throughout the country during the July 23 election in which President Kurmanbek Bakiev was elected to a second five-year term. Two such groups released comprehensive election statements, included below.

The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) is a group of 19 civic organizations from 17 countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe that conduct international, nonpartisan election observation missions. With support from NDI, ENEMO fielded 20 short-term observers to monitor the Kyrgyzstan presidential election. Coming from 11 countries, ENEMO observers visited 210 polling stations during all stages of voting, including the opening of polling stations, the vote and the vote count and tabulation of results in polling stations and rayon (district) electoral commissions throughout the country. In its preliminary statement released July 24 in English and in Russian, ENEMO concludes that, although the polling process was conducted peacefully, it was negatively affected by serious violations during voting and vote counting on election day.

The Alliance of Civic Organizations for Voters’ Rights (the Alliance) is a group of six domestic, nonpartisan election monitoring and civic organizations. With assistance from NDI and the British Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, the Alliance conducted both large- and short-term election monitoring efforts. For its long-term monitoring, the Alliance fielded 25 independent observers to monitor the election campaign and voing preparations. In its pre-election statement released July 17 in English and in Russian, the Alliance details campaign violations and other pre-election problems. On election day proper, the Alliance fielded 2,886 short-term observers at 1,403 polling stations to monitor the Kyrgyzstan presidential election. Its observers were also present at all stages of voting. The Alliance concludes in its preliminary statement, released July 24 in English and in Russian, that the polling process included serious violations, such as ballot box stuffing, multiple voting and intimidation of voters and observers.