International Roundtable on Passive Electoral Right Held by IIMDD IPA CIS in Bishkek

An international roundtable, co-organized by the Bishkek office of the International Institute for Monitoring the Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) and Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, took place on 10 November 2021. The event discussed passive electoral rights and focused on the experience of the CIS Member Nations in creating conditions for voting by certain groups of citizens.

Deputy Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat – Director of the IIMDD IPA CIS Ivan Mushket delivered a welcome address of IPA CIS Council Secretary General Dmitriy Kobitskiy.

Participants discussed such issues, as the electoral legislative framework of the Kyrgyz Republic and the historical stages of the development of its electoral system, measures aimed at ensuring the rights of women, national minorities, youth and persons with disabilities, including through the use of quotas. They also raised a problem of confidence-building among youth and noted a significant increase in absenteeism among citizens, especially among the younger generation.

Other important topics mentioned at the roundtable were gender equality in the electoral process and the preservation of traditional values ​​in the political culture of citizens.