MAYBE WE COULD SEND VOWELS?:

Kyrgyzstan's Acting President Wins Election by a Landslide (David Holley, July 11, 2005, LA Times)

Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a former opposition leader who led a March revolt that ousted his predecessor, won by a landslide in balloting here Sunday, giving fresh legitimacy to his team of reformers in this mountainous Central Asian state.

With 96% of the ballots counted, Bakiyev had 89% of the vote in a field of six candidates, according to the Central Election Commission website. It reported turnout at 75%, far above the 50% threshold required to make the election valid.

This mostly Muslim nation of 5 million has drawn international attention because of its location in the heart of post-Soviet Central Asia and its potential role as an outpost of democracy in a part of the world known for authoritarian regimes. A U.S. military base near Bishkek, the capital, serves as a staging area for U.S.-led coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan. Russia also has a base here.

The new authorities have tried to burnish their democratic credentials, pledging a fair election and allowing the country's first televised presidential debates. Among the reforms in election procedures was the country's first use of finger inking to guard against repeat voting. Bakiyev and his allies have indicated they believe that winning international recognition as a genuine democracy will help them stabilize the country and attract foreign investment.