IPA CIS observers on the referendum to amend the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic are carrying out work at polling stations abroad

35 polling stations were organized at diplomatic missions of the Kyrgyz Republic for its citizens to vote outside the territory of the country. These polling stations are managed by the Bishkek Territorial Election Commission. Their compositions were jointly formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Bishkek Territorial Election Commission. On 11 December 2016, the citizens of Kyrgyzstan have an opportunity to vote at 2365 polling stations inside the country and beyond it.

The largest number of foreign polling stations (six of them) was opened in the Russian Federation (Moscow, St.-Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok). Three stations were opened in Germany, two stations were opened in Kazakhstan, China and Turkey, one — in Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, India, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, UAE, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, USA, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan.

From the early morning the IPA CIS international observers have been working in the ground visiting polling stations not only in the Kyrgyz Republic, but also abroad – in Baku, Minsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg. They had the opportunity to assess the procedure of voter identification using biometric and personal data.

Member of the team, Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Alexey Sergeev visited the polling station in St. Petersburg, located at the Honorary Consulate of the Kyrgyz Republic. Speaking with journalists, he noted that, like in the Republic itself, the station is organized in accordance with all democratic standards and of the Kyrgyz electoral law.

Alexey Sergeev told the press about the system of voter identification that operates at all polling stations on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic and abroad. "Today, it is the most advanced voting across the CIS. Each year the IPA CIS holds a conference on electoral issues. In June 2016, this conference was held in Bishkek as the Kyrgyz Republic had gained the most advanced electoral experience to this date. I believe that this standard should be the aim for all the countries of the Commonwealth. The system prevents almost all violations and technical errors that can happen in the voting process".