Senator John McCain, my senator in Arizona, issued a statement on the recent elections in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. And it was the right oneto make.

Washington D.C. ???????? Senator McCain issued the following statement on the elections in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan:

???????The parliamentary elections held February 27 in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan provided an unambiguous test of each government????????s commitment to democracy. Both have failed.

???????International observers, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), found that Kyrgyzstan????????s elections fell short of international standards. Election day was marred by vote buying, deregistration of candidates, and media interference, and followed hyperbolic warnings by officials about the dangers of civil war.

???????I am particularly outraged by the forced shut-down of the only independent printing press in Kyrgyzstan, just four days before the election. I serve as Chairman of the press???????? supervisory committee, and I fully support its provision of printing services to over sixty local and regional newspapers. After President Akaev reacted publicly to media reports alleging corruption, electrical power was cut off to the printing house. This sort of information control is reminiscent of the old Soviet days, and simply has no place in a free democracy.

???????Earlier this month, Senator Joseph Biden and I introduced S. Res 66, which urged the government in Bishkek to ensure a democratic, transparent, and fair election process. Despite its failure to do so, there exists a remaining chance for Kyrgyzstan to embrace democracy. The March 13 runoff elections will provide a final opportunity for the officials to do what is right for themselves and their country. While all that has transpired thus far makes me very skeptical about the chances for a democratic run-off, that option remains entirely available. Kyrgyz officials know that the world is watching, and they should also know that choosing to deny their people the most basic political rights will carry profound implications.

???????In Tajikistan, the abuses appear to have been even worse than in Kyrgyzstan. The OSCE reported that the parliamentary elections, also held on February 27, ???????failed to meet many OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections,??????? and the organization????????s head of mission noted ???????reports of widespread multiple voting and unrealistically high turnout figures.??????? Government officials interfered inappropriately throughout the campaign and engaged in dishonest procedures on election day itself.

???????These two countries can pretend no longer. The governments in these countries present a false choice: chaotic democracy or authoritarian stability. And yet, as the world has learned time and again, abridging the inalienable right of the people to choose their rulers establishes no stability. Nor should it win friends in America. As we move forward, I believe that the United States must review its relations with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, with the realization that authorities in each have chosen raw power over principle.???????