KYRGYZ ELECTIONS: BALLOT SCANDAL ERUPTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001441

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ ELECTIONS: BALLOT SCANDAL ERUPTS

REF: A. BISHKEK 1425

B. BISHKEK 1419

C. BISHKEK 1402

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Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On December 4, Kyrgyzstan's Central Election
Commission (CEC) decided to cancel Edil Baisalov's
registration as a Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan
(SDPK) candidate in the December 16 parliamentary elections.
Baisalov had posted a picture of a ballot on his personal
blog, and the CEC maintained that this breach necessitated
reprinting all 2.7 million ballot papers. CEC officials said
they would try to recover reprinting costs from the SDPK
through court action, and even discussed canceling the
party's registration for the election. Baisalov told us that
posting the picture had been a serious mistake, but that the
CEC had unnecessarily blown the incident up into a major
issue. Baisalov said SDPK leaders, under pressure from the
CEC, had asked him to withdraw from the election, and he had
been prepared to do so, until the CEC overstepped its
authority and removed him from the list. Now, he said, he
was forced to defend himself and will demand "due process."
End summary.

Blog Post Sparks Controversy
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2. (SBU) Edil Baisalov, Executive Secretary of the Social
Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) and a candidate in the
December 16 parliamentary elections, touched off a
controversy when he posted a photograph of an official ballot
to his personal blog late on December 3. Earlier in the day
at an opposition-organized roundtable meeting, Baisalov had
criticized the CEC's security arrangements for the ballots,
noting that the ballots were being printed on ordinary paper
with no control or accounting of the number printed. The
next day, CEC members alleged that Baisalov had violated
election laws and that ballots could be forged due to his
publication of the photo. The CEC decided to invalidate all
of the printed ballots and ordered reprinting of all 2.7
million ballot papers. The CEC discussed seeking
compensation from the SDPK through the courts. The CEC then
decided to cancel Baisalov's registration as a candidate (he
held the 13th position on the SDPK's list) and to strip him
of his position as an advisory member of the CEC.


3. (SBU) Several media reports accused Baisalov of posting
the photo deliberately to expose the weakness of the security
arrangements for the ballots. Several lawyers questioned the
legal basis for the CEC's cancellation of Baisalov's
candidacy. SDPK lawyer Galina Skripkina told the press that
Baisalov's action had to be shown to be illegal before the
CEC could remove him from the election. Late on December 5,
CEC member Jyldyz Joldosheva told the press that a final
decision on Baisalov's candidacy had not been made, and that
the CEC was still reviewing the matter.

Baisalov: It Was a Mistake, but . . .
--------------


4. (C) On December 5, Charge met with Baisalov, who
acknowledged that posting the photo of the ballot had been a
serious mistake, but was upset at the turn of events. He
said that the CEC had unnecessarily blown the incident out of
proportion, and he was now being forced to defend himself.
He provided us a version of events that differed from some
media reports.


5. (C) According to Baisalov, who is (was) an "advisory
member" of the CEC, he had been called over the weekend to
take an overnight "shift" at the government printing house to
watch ballot printing, which all CEC members were obligated
to do. During his shift, Baisalov observed the printing,

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spoke with the MVD and GKNB guards, helped the workers, and
took some photographs, including of a ballot.


6. (C) Following his overnight shift, Baisalov said he had a
full day of election-related activities December 3, including
roundtable criticism of security arrangements for the
ballots. An exhausted Baisalov later posted the ballot photo
to his blog "without thinking." Another CEC member, Gulia
Ryskulova, read the blog, saw the photo, and complained.
Baisalov said he immediately removed the photo, explaining
that he had not intended to expose the weakness of ballot
security; he had simply been tired and had not exercised good
judgment.

But the CEC Made It a Big Issue
--------------


7. (C) According to Baisalov, he had been prepared to
withdraw his candidacy over the incident, and SDPK leader
Babanov had asked him to do so. However, the CEC
unnecessarily blew the incident out of proportion. At the
CEC meeting on December 4, Baisalov intimated that CEC
members appeared to have had their minds made up before the
meeting began. In an intimidating gesture, GKNB Chairman
Sutalinov, Interior Minister Nogoibayev, and Prosecutor
General Satybaldiyev were also in attendance at the meeting.
The discussion of a criminal case and the possibility of
financial sanctions, Baisalov told us, has forced him to
defend himself. In such a posture, he said he would demand
"due process" and was not going to discuss the matter
publicly.
Ruptured Relations with SDPK
--------------


8. (C) Baisalov said that SDPK leader Babanov had asked him
to resign from the party. He also said that his relationship
with party leader Almaz Atambayev had deteriorated when he
had warned Atambayev of his impending dismissal as prime
minister. Baisalov said that he still had good relations
with many rank and file members of the party.

Comment
--------------


9. (C) As with all things political here, the first casualty
in any incident is often the truth. Regardless of whether he
acted intentionally or not, Baisalov has sparked an electoral
controversy that is another major drama of the parliamentary
campaign. The gloves are off, and further fireworks are
likely as the December 16 vote draws near.
LITZENBERGER