III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 66 

Urging the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to ensure a democratic, 

transparent, and fair process for the parliamentary elections scheduled 

for February 27, 2005. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2005 

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. BIDEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION

Urging the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to ensure 

a democratic, transparent, and fair process for the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 27, 2005.

Whereas on August 31, 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic declared 

independence from the Soviet Union; 

Whereas the Kyrgyz Republic has been ruled by a single 

President since gaining independence in 1991 after the 

collapse of the Soviet Union; 

Whereas President Askar Akaev’s initial years of power were 

marked by numerous democratic reforms, including the 

establishment of independent media and opposition party 

representation in a bi-cameral parliament; 

Whereas in recent years, these democratic reforms have been 

scaled back or eliminated; 
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•SRES 66 IS

Whereas today in the Kyrgyz Republic, virtually all major television outlets are controlled or influenced by the President’s family or the state; 

Whereas the political system of the Kyrgyz Republic has been 

characterized by the Department of State as marred by 

‘‘serious irregularities’’ and its human rights record has 

been described by the Department of State as ‘‘poor’’; 

Whereas in 2002, Government forces shot 4 opposition demonstrators in the southern Aksy region; 

Whereas in 2003, President Akaev called for a referendum, 

with little notice, on a group of Constitutional amendments, leaving both voters and the opposition unprepared 

to effectively participate in the vote; 

Whereas the 2003 referendum vote on the Constitutional 

amendments was not transparent and contained numerous instances of fraud; 

Whereas a genuinely free and fair democratic election requires a period of political campaigning in an environment in which administrative action, violence, intimidation, and detention do not hinder the parties, political associations, or the candidates from presenting their views 

and qualifications to the citizenry; 

Whereas unimpeded access to television, radio, print, and 

Internet media on a non-discriminatory basis is fundamental to a genuinely free and fair democratic election; 

Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires that all 

eligible citizens be guaranteed the right and effective opportunity to exercise their civil and political rights, including the right to vote, and the right to seek and acquire information upon which to make an informed vote, 

free from intimidation, undue influence, attempts at vote 
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•SRES 66 IS

buying, threats of political retribution, or other forms of 

coercion; 

Whereas the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, as a participating state in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has accepted numerous 

specific commitments governing the conduct of elections, 

including the provisions of the Copenhagen Document; 

Whereas reports indicate that authorities within the Kyrgyz 

government have stepped up repressive activities ahead of 

the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 27, 

2005, including unfairly excluding opposition candidates 

from running for office, launching new restrictions on 

freedom of assembly, harassing opposition supporters and 

civil society activists, publicly warning against a 

‘‘Ukraine scenario’’, and attempting to equate political 

opposition with subversion; and 

Whereas the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 

27, 2005, will provide an unambiguous test of the extent 

of the commitment of the Kyrgyz authorities to implementing democratic reforms and building a society based 

on free elections and the rule of law: Now, therefore, be 

it

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) acknowledges and welcomes the strong rela3 tionship formed between the United States and the 

4 Kyrgyz Republic since the restoration of independ5 ence in 1991; 

6 (2) expresses its strong and continuing support 

7 for the efforts of the Kyrgyz people to establish a 
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1 full democracy, the rule of law, and respect for 

2 human rights in the Kyrgyz Republic; 

3 (3) urges the Kyrgyz Republic to meet its Orga4 nization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

5 commitments on democratic elections; and 

6 (4) urges the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure— 

7 (A) the full transparency of election proce8 dures before, during, and after the 2005 par9 liamentary elections; 

10 (B) the right to vote for all eligible citizens 

11 of the Kyrgyz Republic; 

12 (C) unimpeded access by all parties and 

13 candidates to print, radio, television, and Inter14 net media on a non-discriminatory basis; and 

15 (D) the right of opposition parties and 

16 candidates to assemble freely, campaign openly, 

17 and contest the upcoming elections on an equal 

18 basis as all other parties, including the party 

19 currently in control of the Parliament.

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