COPENHAGEN, 25 November 2025 – Some 80 OSCE PA observers from 28 countries are deploying to Kyrgyzstan for the 30 November early parliamentary elections. This marks the twelfth time the OSCE PA has observed elections in the country since 2000.
Claude Haagen (MP, Luxembourg), Special Co-ordinator and Leader of the OSCE short-term election observation mission, and Monika Zajkova (MP, North Macedonia), Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation of observersLuxembourgish parliamentarian Claude Haagen, appointed by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, and Monika Zajkova, Head of Delegation of North Macedonia and appointed by the OSCE PA President as Head of the PA’s delegation of observers, will open the joint parliamentary briefing programme on Friday.
The OSCE PA team will work closely with the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, headed by Tamás Meszerics (Hungary), and partner delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Georgios Stamatis (Greece).
Ahead of election day, our observers will be thoroughly briefed by representatives of the election administration, political parties and candidates, civil society, media, and independent experts. Following two days of in-depth discussions, OSCE parliamentarians will deploy across Kyrgyzstan to assess all stages of the election process. Their findings will be compiled and analyzed for inclusion in the preliminary conclusions of the international election observation mission, to be presented at a joint press conference.
“Kyrgyzstan is heading into these elections with a much-changed electoral framework, introducing a new voting system, new district boundaries, a new media law and gender rule, additional requirements for candidates, and revised campaign financing,” said Special Co-ordinator Haagen. “Our role now is to observe if these new rules are in line with OSCE commitments and whether the process is conducted transparently and in a way that supports public confidence at this important time.”
During a pre-election visit to Bishkek in early November, Special Co-ordinator Haagen met with representatives of the election administration, political parties and candidates, civil society, media, and the OSCE/ODIHR team already deployed in the country. These discussions provided valuable insights into the political environment and preparations ahead of election day.
“These will be the first nationwide elections in Kyrgyzstan to use the new voting equipment and offer remote voting, and people are understandably paying close attention to how it will work in practice,” highlighted Head of OSCE PA Delegation Zajkova. “We’re looking forward to observing these developments on the ground and working closely with ODIHR and our partners from PACE throughout the country.”
On election day, OSCE PA observers will visit polling stations across a broad geographic area to assess procedures, voting technologies, and the overall conduct of the process. The elections will be assessed against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document.
The preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference in Bishkek on 1 December.
For information about previous OSCE PA election observation missions to Kyrgyzstan, please click here.
Photos from the pre-election visit are available in the OSCE PA Flickr album.
