Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society’s Findings of the Long-Term and Short-Term Observation of Kyrgyzstan’s June 27, 2010 National Referendum

The period preceding the social unrest was characterized by unpopular economic measures, including drastic increases in electricity, heating, and mobile phone tariffs. President Bakiyev strengthened his rule by appointing his son, Maxim Bakiyev, as the Director of the Investment and Economic Development Agency, which effectively managed the government's economic policy and economic policy management areas. The Interim Government dissolved the Jorgoku Kenesh (Parliament), Constitutional Court, and announced that all powers of the Parliament, President, and President would be transferred to the Interim Government, which would assume overall responsibility for the country's future for a period of six months. Recognizing the need to reform the political system, the Interim Government formed the Constitutional Council, consisting of 78 members, which developed a draft constitution. The Interim Government set June 27, 2010, as the date for a referendum to adopt the new draft constitution. The referendum aimed to switch to a parliamentary system of governance in Kyrgyzstan, although some experts believed it would provide a hybrid system with power shared between the executive and legislative branches. Voters were offered the chance to vote in favor or against the draft constitution and the law on its enactment, which would abolish the Constitutional Court as a separate entity and confirm Roza Otunbaeva as Interim President until December 31, 2011. The new constitution was prepared by the Constitutional Council, consisting of 78 members, and was developed in a short period. The draft constitution was approved by the Interim Government and was put to a referendum on June 27, 2010. The referendum was conducted during a difficult period, with the country experiencing social unrest and violence in the south. The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society conducted a long-term observation of the social and political situation in the country and the activities related to the preparation and conduct of the referendum. The observation aimed to provide an objective assessment of the preparation and conduct of the referendum in terms of their compliance with the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic and international norms and commitments of Kyrgyzstan. The observation involved Coalition leaders, two lawyers, and a team of 35 independent long-term observers (LTOs) who were deployed across all regions of the country beginning on June 1. The violence in the south in mid-June limited the Coalition's ability to fully observe all processes. In addition to the long-term observation, the Coalition conducted a short-term observation on the referendum day, with 1000 short-term observers (STOs) deployed to 500 polling stations and a team of 70 coordinators. The LTOs monitored the course of activities related to the referendum preparation, the actions of election commissions at all levels, and the actions of the Interim Government to ensure a free, fair, and equal declaration of the will of voters during the referendum. They also assessed the levels of interest in the referendum and the sufficiency of knowledge regarding the referendum question. The LTOs adhered to the principle of impartiality and neutrality, communicating only what they had witnessed firsthand and could corroborate. They also communicated unverified information, clearly emphasizing its unverified status. During the observed period, the Coalition's headquarters held formal meetings with the Chairman of the CEC, Mr. A. Sariev, to discuss the course of the referendum preparation and conduct. The Coalition's observation was supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Additional support was also provided by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).