Kyrgyzstan throws out contested results in parliamentary elections, following protests in Bishkek

Election officials in Kyrgyzstan have invalidated the contested voting results from recent parliamentary elections that provoked widespread protests in the nation’s capital, Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan’s Central Election Commission reportedly announced on Tuesday that it is also debating its own voluntary dissolution. At least one member told the news agency 24.kg that she believes the commission has discredited itself irreparably.

In voting that ended on October 4, according to the official (now invalidated) results, only four parties got enough support to enter Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament. Just two parties (one tied to the president’s family and the other affiliated with the influential Matraimov brothers) won most of the seats. A dozen opposition parties that failed to claim seats in the legislature organized protests, demanding the election results’ invalidation.

On October 5, the opposition’s supporters flooded Bishkek’s streets, leading to violent clashes with the police. Over the course of the night, demonstrators managed to occupy several government buildings, including City Hall and the so-called “White House,” which includes the Parliament and presidential administration’s offices. The opposition has also created a “coordination council.” Following the gains by protesters, Bishkek Mayor Aziz Surakmatov announced his resignation on Tuesday. The country’s president, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, calls the events in the capital an illegal attempt to seize power.