13. Is there a ban on the use of state resources in favour or against a political party or candidate?

Article 21 Status of candidates

2. Candidates holding state and municipal positions as well as positions of heads of state and municipal enterprises and institutions, agencies with the state (municipal) share of more than 30% and their branch offices, may not take advantage of their official capacity or employment status.

3. According to this Constitutional Law, taking advantage of official capacity or employment status implies the following: 1) involvement of subordinates or dependent officers, or other government and municipal officers on duty into activities promoting the nomination and (or) election processes; 2) use of premises occupied by state power bodies or local governments for nomination and (or) election purposes where other candidates cannot use the same premises under the same terms and conditions; 3) use of telephone, fax and other communication means, information services, office equipment ensuring functioning of state institutions or local governments for the purposes of nomination and (or) election; 4) free or privileged use of the vehicles belonging to the state and local government bodies for the purposes of nomination or election; 5) collecting signatures and conducting election campaign by state or municipal officials during their business trips; 6) superiority in getting access to mass media (compared to other candidates) for the purpose of collecting signatures or campaigning.

Article 22 Provision of information to voters and holding of election campaign

3. The content of information published in mass media or otherwise disseminated must be unbiased and true, provide for equality of candidates or political parties with no superiority given to any candidates or political parties.

(Constitutional Law of the Kyrgyz Republic On elections of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic and deputies of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2011, available at http://www.legislationline.org/download/action/download/id/4016/file/Kyrgyz_Const_Law_Presidential_and_parliam_Elections_2011_en.pdf accessed February 2018).    

A ban on candidates holding government or municipal positions, or managerial positions of state and municipal enterprises to use state resources for their campaigning. The abuse of official or service position shall mean the following::

- premises

- vehicles

- telephone and other communication and information services, as well as organizational equipment

- the engagement of state/municipal employees

- priviliged access to the media

There is also a requirement for the media not to give preference to any candidate or political party.