BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- All influential players in Kyrgyzstan need to practice tolerance to secure free and fair elections in October, the OSCE said Tuesday.
Kyrgyzstan, in the wake of ethnic violence between members of the Uzbek and Kyrgyz communities, passed a constitutional referendum that moves much of the power in Bishkek from the president to a prime minister.
The new prime minister would take control over 17 government ministries under the terms of the referendum.
Zhanybek Karibzhanov, the special envoy of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, met with members of the international community during a conference in Bishkek to express support for the electoral process.
The delegates at the meeting called on all "political parties to show mutual tolerance and respect for opponents during the election campaign to ensure transparent and secure elections."
Roza Otunbayeva, the interim president of Kyrgyzstan, said she would consider calling off the elections if ethnic tensions reignited in the south of the country.
The OSCE is preparing to deploy a unit of unarmed police advisers to the south of Kyrgyzstan sometime around the election scheduled for Oct. 10.
