Yesterday, July 29 2009, Almazbek Atambaev, who lost presidential elections and called elections illegal, and his supporters attempted to organize open-ended demonstrations and march towards the center of the city. However, they were stopped on their way by law enforcement bodies, who effectively dispersed the crowd and took into custody dozens of people. Leaders of the United Peoples Movement, where Atambaev is a member, later stated they would march to Balykchy city of Issik Kul oblast on July 30 2009, where many of their supporters are being held in custody.

When I arrived the Social Democratic Party’s headquarters at 9:45 am today, there were about 30-40 people standing  in front of the building waiting the march to begin. Almost half of the small crowd were journalists from local and international media. By 10:15 the crowd enlarged a bit. People waiting for opposition members to come out and tell about the furthers steps.

Suddenly, instead of opposition members, Sumar Nasiza, Deputy Prosecutor General, and a high ranking official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) appeared in front of SDPK’s HQ. The state officials had a small meeting in public with Bakyt Beshimov, chairman the only opposition party represented in the parliament the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan. During the meeting, the authorities officially warned opposition members that any marches held in Bishkek and outskirts of the city would be stopped by the law enforcement bodies “by legal measures.” They explained that it was due to the security measures on the eve of CSTO‘s summit in Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

After meeting, all of them – Sumar Nasiza and official from MIA, Azim Beknazarov, and Bakyt Beshimov – went to the office of Almazbek Atambaev, where they had a meeting behind the closed doors. After 15-20 minutes, they came out of the office of Atambaev. The state officials said that they told Atambaev about the possible results if opposition organized marches. Almazbek Atambaev appeared after officials left, and gave a public speech, where he said that the United People’s Movement had decided to cancel the march as he “did not want to risk people’s freedom and security.” The crowd insisted on marching to Balykchy city and release the arrested supporters of opposition. Atambaev told that he would go to Balykchy himself soon. However, he did not tell the time saying he could also be stopped on the way. There were about 150 people in the crowd during the speech of Atambaev.

After Atambaev and other opposition leaders went in the offices, the crowd started dispersing. Journalists were leaving. But it was early to leave. Deputy Prosecutor General and his colleague from MIA appeared again. They went to Bakyt Beshimovs office, where they had a meeting behind the closed doors with the leaders of opposition. Bakyt Beshimov later told that they discussed the release of opposition supporters who are being held in Balykchy and other parts of the country.

I left the SDPK’s HQ after that feeling nothing news worthy was going to happen.

Law enforcement bodies talking to Bakyt Beshimov

Deputy Prosecutor General warning Bakyt Beshimov that march will be stopped

The state officials and opposition leaders are going to Atambaevs office

The state officials telling that they warned Atambaev about marchs

Almazbek Atambaev coming out from his office

Almazbek Atambaev saying the march is cancelled

Atambaev: I will go to Balykchy mylelf. I don't want to risk peoples freedom and security.

Crowd listeining to Almazbek Atambaev

State officials coming out from Bakyt Beshimovs office

Bakyt Beshimov telling what they discussed with state officials befind the closed doors

Today is 27th of July, Monday. Bishkek is calm. There is no feeling in the air of the capital city of upcoming demonstrations of opposition. Most of my friends, like many others fed up with the Bishkek’s heat, are gone to Issyk Kul to chill out on the lake shore. Farmers in the North are busy harvesting wheat, while their colleagues in the South are already planting the second crop on newly harvested wheat fields, and irrigating rice and cotton fields… Given people’s relaxed/busy summer schedule, it will be very hard to opposition to attract as many supporters as they want to have during open-ended demonstrations. Well, thinking logically, a farmer would not leave his crop and participate in a demonstration that does not have a certain end. Let’s see how opposition handles the situation. I will keep the blog updated.

Quick fact lines (for those who may be interested):

- the Central Election Committee stated that during 2009 presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan incumbent president Kurmanbek Bakiev got 76.4% of votes (1,779,417 votes), while Almazbek Atambaev gained 8.4% of total votes.

- Almazbek Atambaev calls the elections illegal and claims that 60% of electorate, who voted on 23rd of July, actually voted for him.

- the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) officially stated that Kyrgyz elections “failed to meet key OSCE commitments, despite some positive elements.”

- Presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan already congratulated Kurmanbek Bakiev with re-election for the second term.

- Almazbek Atambaev goes to Moscow on 26th of July to talk to Duma deputies on Kyrgyz elections.

Blive.kg, one of the video servers in Kyrgyz internet domain, has several videos showing the violations of election norms, including opening of polling stations before arrival of observers, ballot stuffingand carousel voting. As Blive is not accessible outside of Kyrgyzstan, I downloaded ‘norms violations videos’ from there and uploaded in YouTube. But the problem is that one cannot really prove that all these movies were taken during the 2009 presidential elections.

Ballot stuffing – is the illegal act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted (c) Wikipedia. Author claims it is from the 2009 presidential elections.

An observer is criticizing badly organized polling station

The author claims it is a carousel voting, when a group of people go to multiple polling stations and vote several times using false IDs.

Opening of polling stations before arrival of observers. The cameraman is an observer of presidential candidate Almazbek Atambaev. He claims he came at 7:20 am, and there already were several ballots in ballot box. According to the law on elections, the polling stations must open at 8:00 am.

There is a confusion among media, both local and foreign, that candidates Nazaraliev and Atambaev have withdrawn their candidacies. However, both Nazaraliev and Atambaev have several times stated that according to the law on elections, they cant withdraw their candidacies during the election day. They are just considering this election corrupt, and want it to be reheld.

Two concerts will be organized tonight by the opposition – one in front of the Social Democratic Party’s (SDPK) headquarters at 8:30 pm, the other is not far from the parliament at Gorkiy park at 10:00 pm. Atambaev says “further plans of opposition will be publicized during these concerts.”

Update (23.07.2009 at 10:05 pm): There is a big crowd in front of the Social Democratic Party’s HQ. They started gathering there at 8:00 pm, when the concert started with Kyrgyz folklore singers. Now, Almazbek Atambaev, a candidate from opposition, and Bakyt Beshimov, chairman of SDPK, and other prominent members of opposition are giving speeches calling the current government corrupt, and that presidential elections are illegitimate and should be rehold.

Opposition members say there are more than thousand people there and they will march from SPDK’s HQ to the Gorkiy park, which is not far from the White House and the Parliament. Many wonder whether or not they will face obstacles, be it police or state-sponsored provocators, on the way.

Update (23.07.2009 at 10.20 pm): It seems crowd is enlarging and ore people are joining. People are shouting ‘Bakiev ketsin!’ (Bakiev go away!), just like in March 2005 during the so-called Tulip revolution that made Bakiev come to power. Then, a crowd shouted ‘Akaev ketsin!’ (Akaev go away!). Roza Otunbaeva is giving a speech. No one from speech-givers are talking about the further steps of opposition. No talks about marching yet.

Update (23.07.2009 at 10.55 pm): I had to leave the demonstration venue. So do not really know what is happening there now. But members of internet forum Diesel say that after fireworks and statements that ‘opposition has won the presidential elections’, the crowd started dispersing, and ‘only drunk people left now’.

Update (23.07.2009 at 11:10 pm): Journalists are also talking that the crowd started dispersing, and just few people are in a demonstration place now.

Translated by Google Translator

(also see “Presidential election interim voter turnout results“ and “Presidential election interim voter turnout results 2“)

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Original text is by the Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums

Информация  для прессы

Бишкекская городская  комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов сообщает, что на 14:00 часов 23 июля 2009 года по городу Бишкек проголосовало 171 527 человек, что составляет 49, 07 % от общего числа избирателей.

Общее количество избирателей в городе Бишкек составляет 349 525 человек.

Необходимо отметить, что явка голосующих на избирательных  участках является и  остается очень  активной.

Бишкекская городская  комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов

Press Information

Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums stated that in response to information received from the headquarters of the presidential candidate Atambaev A.Sh. that on the territory of one of the polling stations of Pervomaisky district, allegedly attended a group of 15 people, who were giving fake IDs to people.

In this regard, Pervomaysk the City organized special committee to go to the place where the act of violation was drafted. But these facts do not find confirmation, which was included to the act drafted by the special committee.

Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums

(also see “Violations of election process“)

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Original text is by the Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums

Информация  для прессы

Бишкекская городская  комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов сообщает, что в ответ на информацию, поступившую от штаба кандидата в Президенты Кыргызской Республики Атамбаева А.Ш. о том, что на территории одного из избирательных участков Первомайского района, якобы присутствовала группа людей из 15 человек, выдающая желающим открепительные удостоверения.

В связи с  этим, Первомайской администрацией города была определена специальная участковая комиссия, выехавшая на место, где был составлен акт. Однако данные факты не нашли подтверждения, что так же было указано в составленном акте.

Бишкекская городская  комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов

Press Information

Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums stated that at 13:00 hours of July 23, 2009 in Bishkek, 149 377 people voted, representing 42, 74% of the total number of voters.

The total number of voters in the city of Bishkek is 349 525 people.

It should be noted that the turnout of voters at polling stations is still very active.

To compare: during the elections in parliament in 2007 at the same time (13:00 hours) voted only 99 205 voters, representing 30.55% of the total number of voters.

Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums

(also see “Presidential elections interim voter turnout results 1“)

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Original text by Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums

Информация  для прессы

Бишкекская городская  комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов сообщает, что на 13:00 часов 23 июля 2009 года по городу Бишкек проголосовало 149 377 человек, что составляет 42, 74% от общего числа избирателей.

Общее количество избирателей в городе Бишкек составляет 349 525 человек.

Необходимо отметить, что явка голосующих на избирательных  участках является и  остается очень  активной.

Для сравнения: во время выборов в Жогорку Кенеш 2007 года на это же время (13:00 часов) проголосовало только 99 205 избирателей, что составляет 30,55% от общего числа избирателей.

Бишкекская городская  комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов

Press Information

In Bishkek city Commission for Elections and Referendums are receiving signals of observes on violations of the electoral process at polling stations.

In particular, at the polling station number 1153 (High School #73) observers from the candidate for President of the Kyrgyz Republic Atambaev A.Sh. interfered in the electoral process trying to hold illegal checking passports of voters.

Therefore, the Bishkek City Commission on Elections and Referendums reminds that under the rules of the Code of the Kyrgyz Republic «On elections in the Kyrgyz Republic» checking passports and residence is the exclusive right of members of the Electoral Commission when checking the list of voters and issuing ballots.

Bishkek city Commission for Elections and Referendums

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Original text by Bishkek city Commission for Elections and Referendums

Информация для прессы

В Бишкекскую городскую комиссию по выборам и проведению референдумов продолжают поступать сигналы о нарушениях избирательного процесса на избирательных участках наблюдателями.

В частности, на избирательном участке №1153 (средняя школа №73) наблюдатели от кандидата в Президенты Кыргызской Республики Атамбаева А.Ш. вмешиваются в выборный процесс, пытаясь провести незаконную проверку паспортов у избирателей.

В связи с этим, Бишкекская городская комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов напоминает, что согласно нормам Кодекса Кыргызской Республики «О выборах в Кыргызской Республике» проверка паспортов и прописки – исключительное право членов избирательной комиссии при проверке списка избирателей и выдаче бюллетеней.

Бишкекская городская комиссия по выборам и проведению референдумов