UN says a free, fair election in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday is vital to Central Asia

Senior United Nations officials appealed for a free and fair presidential election in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, saying that it would send a positive signal to the other four countries of Central Asia, a landlocked region with 60 million people in a mosaic of cultures.

“A successful election in Kyrgyzstan will contribute greatly to political stability throughout the region, which is essential for Central Asia’s long-term development,” said UN Assistant Secretary General Kalman Mizsei, who is also a UN Development Programme (UNDP) official.

The presidential election was organized in just three months, with help from UNDP, following the resignation of former President Askar Akaev in April. Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – has drawn international attention because of its geopolitical importance, economic potential and unsettled political situation.

Recent outbreaks of violence in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have spotlighted the danger that political instability could undermine development and poverty alleviation in the region, UNDP officials said.

“Central Asia will flourish only if countries of the region cooperate with one another and encourage the free movement of people, of goods and of knowledge among themselves, with their neighbours, and with the rest of the world,” said Mr. Mizsei, who directs the UNDP’s Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan Jerzy Skuratowicz said, “Kyrgyzstan is at a turning point. There is an urgent need to bring stability to the country and to strengthen national institutions through free and fair elections.”

He expressed gratification that the political campaign had been conducted peacefully and added, “We call on all candidates and parties to ensure that the election takes place in a similarly peaceful atmosphere and in strict adherence to the rule of law.”