WAKE US WHEN ONE ISN'T FLAWED:

A Flawed Exercise in Democracy Seen (Kim Murphy, March 1, 2005, LA Times)

The closely watched parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were marred by widespread vote buying, pressure to support pro-government candidates and cases of multiple voting, yet still provided many voters with a "genuine choice," international election observers said Monday.

But with only about a third of the seats having clear-cut winners, the makeup of the new parliament won't be determined until a runoff election March 13, officials said.

The election for 75 seats in the nation's new unicameral parliament is widely seen as a barometer of whether Kyrgyzstan later this year can achieve a peaceful and democratic transition of power after 15 years under President Askar A. Akayev. The 60-year-old head of state is prohibited from seeking another term, although if he wins solid backing in the new parliament he could push through a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run again.

Just so long as he's elected, not selected....

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 1, 2005 8:06 AM