Kyrgyz President Re-elected Amid Charges of Widespread Fraud
By VOA News
24 July 2009
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev kept his hold on power in the Central Asian nation Friday, despite allegations of massive fraud in Thursday's presidential vote.
Kyrgyzstan's election commission says Mr. Bakiyev won 85 percent of nearly three-fourths of the votes counted.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called the election a disappointment. It says the vote was marred by ballot-box stuffing and voter list inaccuracies, and said there was evidence of multiple voting. The group also accused President Bakiyev of using government resources to ensure his victory.
Friday's preliminary report by Europe's top security organization may bolster claims by the main opposition candidate, former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, who says the election was a sham.
Before the polls closed Thursday, Mr. Atambayev said the election was rigged, pulled out and demanded a new vote. Another presidential candidate, Zhenishbek Nazaraliyev, also withdrew.
The commission insists the results are valid.
The European Union's Swedish presidency issued a statement Friday saying the Kyrgyz vote failed to meet key OSCE commitments for democratic elections, including maintaining a clear separation between the ruling party and the state.
The United States has a strong interest in the Central Asian country, which hosts a U.S. air base that supplies American and NATO troops in nearby Afghanistan.
Russia has recently given Kyrgyzstan about $2 billion in aid in what analysts say is an attempt to wield influence in Kyrgyzstan.
President Bakiyev took power in 2005 after violent street protests forced his predecessor, Askar Akayev, to resign.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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