Kyrgyzstan’s CEC chairman praises Belarusian youth voter education model

MINSK, 27 March (BelTA) - Chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums of Kyrgyzstan Tynchtyk Shainazarov praised the Belarusian model of working with future voters, BelTA learned from the CEC of Belarus following the Kyrgyz delegation’ familiarization with the methods used by the future voters’ club at the Zubryonok National Children’s Center.

The visitors were shown interactive platforms and educational materials, and were introduced to best practices in working with youth. Igor Karpenko, Chairman of the CEC of Belarus, noted that the goal of future voters’ clubs is not merely to impart dry knowledge about laws, but to help young people form a conscious civic position before they even reach adulthood.

Tynchtyk Shainazarov highly praised the Belarusian model of working with future voters. He emphasized that implementing similar educational modules in Kyrgyzstan could be key to increasing electoral participation among young people. “For us, it is important not simply to bring young people to polling stations, but to ensure they understand the significance of every vote. The Belarusian experience of working with students from school age is a ready-made model that we plan to study in detail for possible adaptation,” he said.

A highlight of the visit was a meeting with students, during which the two CEC chairpersons answered questions from future voters.

The Zubryonok National Children’s Center has organized extensive work on training leaders of student self-government, and a future voters’ club operates there on an ongoing basis, a project aimed at enhancing the legal culture of young people in the field of electoral law.