Kyrgyzstan's government appeared to be doing everything possible to ensure a democratic vote in Sunday's upcoming elections, a European Union official said, DPA reported.
"The government is doing all that is necessary to ensure rule of law and stability in the preparation for the vote and in carrying out the election," Pierre Morel, EU special representative for Central Asia, said Monday.
Morel was in the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek and was to meet with interim president Roza Otunbayeva. His remarks were published in a statement on Otunbayeva's official website.
A wide slate of candidates, no clear favourite and the intention by Otunbayeva and other Kyrgyzstan officials to have a free-and-fair election make the outcome of the upcoming election hard to see ahead of time, Morel said.
"In this the situation in Kyrgyzstan differs qualitatively from the situation in many other countries," Morel said.
Kyrgyzstan is the only Central Asian nation thought to have a generally representative government, in clear contrast to neighbouring states such as authoritarian Turkmenistan.
Political observers are widely predicting no clear winner and a runoff between the top two candidates in December. There are 19 registered candidates, the Interfax news agency reported.
Kyrgyzstan in 2010 witnessed widespread ethnic fighting in the wake of the overthrow of ruler Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Ontunbayeva is a caretaker president and is not a candidate in the October contest.
EU official: Kyrgyzstan working to ensure stability before election
Kyrgyzstan's government appeared to be doing everything possible to ensure a democratic vote in Sunday's upcoming elections, a European Union official said,
