Former Kyrgyz prime minister suggests postponing parliamentary elections

Leader of Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party, ex-prime minister of Kyrgyzstan Felix Kulov has called on the president Almazbek Atambayev to postpone the parliamentary elections till Nov 1 2015. As leader of the parliament majority, Felix Kulov probably came out with such initiative bearing in mind that within few days Almazbek Atambayev will publish the decree on elections to the Zhogorku Kenesh (parliament). Besides, it is widely rumored in Bishkek that the Central Election Commission will announce the voting for Oct 24.

In his appeal, Felix Kulov says that the constitutional term of the incumbent parliament must be calculated from the “date of registration by the CEC” and not from the date of the voting. “Therefore, referring to the decision of the Parliamentary Committee on the Legislation and Human Rights saying that the elections must be held on the first Sunday of November, as well as recalling the Supreme Court decision dating back to March 24 2005, I ask you to announce Nov 1 2015 as the voting date,” Kulov says in the appeal.  In addition, he explains that the country anticipates delivery of equipment necessary for the elections from abroad and may not be ready for the elections before November 2015.

However, some Kyrgyz experts say Felix Kulov’s request to postpone the voting for a week after the planned or supposed date of the elections is, in fact, connected with the de-facto start of the election campaign. As to his concerns and suggestions, they are not pressing, given that the difference between the date he suggests and the supposed date is “just seven days.”