The Central Election Commission said it made the decision to "avoid tension" in the country. Protesters stormed the capital on Monday after the results were announced, even gaining entry to Bishkek's White House.
Image: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters
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Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission has declared the results of the weekend's parliamentary election invalid, following mass overnight protests in the capital, Bishkek, and other cities.
The decision was made in order to "avoid tension" in the country, the head of the Commission Nurzhan Shaildabekova told the Interfax news agency on Tuesday.
Opposition supporters stormed government buildings overnight, including the White House, home to parliament and the presidential administration. They demanded a new election after parties close to pro-Russian President Sooronbai Jeenbekov swept Sunday's vote, according to the official results.
Hundreds were injured and one person was killed during violent clashes with police, who used tear gas, grenades and water cannons to disperse protesters.
Moscow's embassy in Bishkek has called for a "legal solution" to the crisis. "Ensuring the safety of citizens, internal stability should be a priority," a spokesperson said Tuesday.
Opposition protests rock Kyrgyzstan following parliamentary vote
Kyrgyz police met opposition protesters with a violent crackdown on Monday, as demonstrators stormed government buildings calling for an annulment of Sunday's parliamentary election results.
Image: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters
Waving for democracy
A man holds a Kyrgyz flag during a rally against the parliamentary election results, in the capital, Bishkek. Mass protests in the capital and other cities broke out after authorities announced early results of Sunday's poll. Opposition protesters say the vote, dominated by parties close to President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, was rigged.
Protesters stormed the government headquarters in Bishkek on Monday evening following the election. Police used tear gas, water cannons and flash-bang grenades to disperse protesters, resulting in at least 590 injuries and one death.
Image: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters
Protesters in the president's White House
A man stands in a room at the White House building, which houses the country's presidential administration and parliament. Early on Tuesday, following the protests, the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan declared the results of the weekend's election invalid.
Image: Abylai Saralayev/TASS/dpa/picture-alliance
Asking for change
Opposition supporters rally and wave the Kyrgyz flag outside of the Government Building in Bishkek. Zhanar Akayev of the Ata Meken opposition party was quoted as saying that a "new prime minister and the people's government need to be appointed."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Itar-Tass
Raising a fist
A demonstrator wearing the national flag raises his first during protests in Bishkek. Supporters of a dozen opposition parties took to the streets to demand the election results be annulled.
Image: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters
Handling the ruckus
Firetrucks set out for the government headquarters on Tuesday to start clearing up the debris. The Central Asian nation has a history of political volatility; two of its presidents have been forced out amid public protests following elections in the past 15 years.
Image: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters
Rubbish ablaze
Protesters set fire to a container in front of the government headquarters in Bishkek. President Sooronbai Jeenbekov accused "certain political forces" of trying to "illegally seize power" in the country, and urged people to get off the streets.
Image: Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters
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'Return to the rule of law'
Opposition politicians, including a former prime minister and several party leaders, said they had formed a "coordination council" to restore stability and "return to the rule of law."
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The council issued a statement criticizing Jeenbekov for failing to honor a promise to provide equal conditions for the parties competing in the vote.
Jeenbekov's office has insisted the situation in the country is under his control, while the president has accused "several political forces" of attempting to seize power.
Jeenbekov said he had "suggested that the central Election Commission carefully investigate the violations and, if necessary, annul the election results."
Protesters also released two former prime ministers, two former lawmakers and ex-president Almazbek Atambayev from jail, local media reported.
Atambayev, who served as president from 2011 to 2017, was taken into custody last year on corruption allegations that surfaced amid a personal conflict with his successor, Jeenbekov. The two were once close, but the pair fell out shortly after Atambayev won the 2017 presidential election.
Kyrgyzstan: Practicing democracy in summer camp
How can you detect efforts to manipulate opinions? How do you organize free elections? Young people at a summer camp in Kyrgyzstan worked on these complex issues by learning through play.
Group picture at the lake
More than 70 young people from all regions of Kyrgyzstan travelled to Issyk-Kul Lake for the Media Democracy Camp 2019. DW Akademie, the Kyrgyz Media Support Center Foundation, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the USAID Mission in Kyrgyzstan organized the camp together.
Image: MSCF / Rufat Ergeshov
Learning through play
The aim of the summer camp was to teach young people critical thinking and to show them the importance of robust civic mindedness.
Building something big together
This was not a break; it was actually an exercise in focused learning. Many learning through play sessions were held in an open-air setting.
A special journey
Some of the students saw Lake Issyk-Kul for the first time in their lives.
What role do media play in democracy?
The young people took part in intensive media training, which included practice in reporting. The students had the opportunity to produce their own videos in the multimedia studio of the Media Democracy Camp.
Media literacy is important for responsible citizens
Myrzash Shabdanbekova, one of the trainers, talked about awareness when processing media content. Media and information literacy (MIL) was a key part of the camp's program.
What kind of media user am I?
A typical task was to describe one’s own media consumption. DW Akademie has been carrying out projects to foster media and information literacy (MIL) among young people in Kyrgyzstan for years. Together with the Kyrgyz Media Support Center, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education and Science, and the Academy for Education, they have helped integrate MIL in the school curriculum of selected schools.
Cue for media literacy
One of the unique activities at Media Democracy Camp for the students was finding a creative way of presenting what they had learned. Their response was to put on a play about MIL.
Presenting to the group
Every evening, the young participants summarized the most important and exciting happenings of the day on stage.
This way to the ballot box
Another important part of the program was the election of the camp president. The young people prepared for this in training sessions and also did research on various electoral systems.
A simulated election
The young people tried out new roles on election day – from election observer to presidential candidate.
Becoming active citizens
At the Media Democracy Camp, the young participants developed their own ideas and projects to tackle current problems in their regions, e.g., a concept for a green city or a citizen initiative for rural areas.
Closing ceremony
The young people celebrated togehter on the last day of the Media Demoracy Camp. They will be able to stay in touch through an alumni network that connects young people across the country.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which had independently monitored the voting, said there were reported irregularities, including "credible allegations of vote-buying."
Kyrgyzstan has a history of popular uprisings and political turmoil, with two presidents ousted in revolutions in 2005 and 2010. After a decade of relative stability, people have raised concerns over rampant corruption and domination by certain powerful clans.
