COPENHAGEN, 5 September 2011 - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Walburga Habsburg Douglas of Sweden has been appointed to lead the short term OSCE observer mission to the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan 30 October.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister and OSCE Chair-in-Office Audronius Azubalis made the appointment on the recommendation of OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou, who previously named Habsburg Douglas head of the OSCE PA observation delegation.

The October vote is to be the first presidential election since April 2010 violent protests which led to the ouster of President Bakiev, and began moving the Kyrgyz Republic toward a parliamentary democracy.The election will be among the first in the region with no incumbent on the ballot as well. President Roza Otunbayeva who led the political reforms in the country since April 2010 is stepping down.

For Habsburg Douglas, it will be her eighth election observation mission as a member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. She most recently served as deputy head of the election observation for the April 2011 presidential election in Kazakhstan. She also has led a multi-party delegation to support political party development and democratic institutions in Kyrgyzstan.

Habsburg Douglas will be in in Kyrgyzstan 10-14 September 2011 on a preliminary visit ahead of the election observation mission.

In accordance with the 1997 Co-operation Agreement between the OSCE PA and the OSCE, Habsburg Douglas will deliver the post-election statement on behalf of the OSCE in Kyrgyzstan.

The OSCE PA has organized 111 election observation missions involving more than 3,500 parliamentarians.