Preliminary data showed 52.4 percent of registered voters took part in Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary elections on Sunday, the country's top election official said, hailing the low figure as proof the vote was not rigged.
Akylbek Sariyev, the chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda, told journalists that the commission was still waiting for figures from two regions, but he said turnout would not be reported at the unrealistically high levels seen during the presidency of Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was ousted amid violent public protests in April.
"This turnout is similar to the real [level], not our usual 70-80%," Sariyev said.
He said that violations had been registered during the vote and vowed that every complainant would receive a response.
"Indeed, there are quite a large number of complaints, as there were many participants in the elections. We will consider all appeals and give answers to every claim," he said.
BISHKEK, October 10 (RIA Novosti)
