BISHKEK -- A Kyrgyz political party says it plans to challenge parliamentary election results that showed it failed to win enough votes to enter parliament, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
The Butun Kyrgyzstan (United Kyrgyzstan) party received 4.6 percent of total eligible votes in final results announced by the Central Election Commission on November 1 -- short of the minimum 5 percent needed to enter parliament. Five parties cleared the 5-percent barrier.
Marat Kaiypov, a Butun Kyrgyzstan leader, told RFE/RL that the party is preparing to register a complaint at Bishkek's Birinchi May district court.
Kaiypov said the commission intentionally annulled the ballots in polling stations in several Russian cities in order "to block Butun Kyrgyzstan's presence in the parliament."
The commission ruled that ballots cast by thousands of Kyrgyz migrant workers at polling stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Yekaterinburg in the October 10 parliamentary election were invalid. It said some ballots had been filled out incorrectly, and that many migrants had used the wrong documents when they registered to vote.
Commission member Abdymomun Mamaraimov told RFE/RL that the official election results have been printed in the state newspaper "Erkin Too" (Free Mountains) and thus legally enter into force. Mamaraimov said any party that does not agree with the results can challenge them in court within three days.
The Butun Kyrgyzstan (United Kyrgyzstan) party received 4.6 percent of total eligible votes in final results announced by the Central Election Commission on November 1 -- short of the minimum 5 percent needed to enter parliament. Five parties cleared the 5-percent barrier.
Marat Kaiypov, a Butun Kyrgyzstan leader, told RFE/RL that the party is preparing to register a complaint at Bishkek's Birinchi May district court.
Kaiypov said the commission intentionally annulled the ballots in polling stations in several Russian cities in order "to block Butun Kyrgyzstan's presence in the parliament."
The commission ruled that ballots cast by thousands of Kyrgyz migrant workers at polling stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Yekaterinburg in the October 10 parliamentary election were invalid. It said some ballots had been filled out incorrectly, and that many migrants had used the wrong documents when they registered to vote.
Commission member Abdymomun Mamaraimov told RFE/RL that the official election results have been printed in the state newspaper "Erkin Too" (Free Mountains) and thus legally enter into force. Mamaraimov said any party that does not agree with the results can challenge them in court within three days.