516 international observers to monitor Kyrgyz pres election

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BISHKEK, July 21 (Itar-Tass) - Around 516 international observers from
48 countries will monitor Kyrgyzstan's presidential election on July 23,
the republic's central election commission told Itar-Tass.
The observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe comprises 250 representatives of the OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
The mission from the CIS member-states includes 136 experts. Moreover,
observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the
interparliamentary assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community, the
Eurasian Research Institute Fund and the European Network of Election
Monitoring Organizations will monitor the election.
"Another one thousand observers or even more will on the voting day
represent the interests of candidates or non-governmental, human rights
and public organizations," the chairman of the Kyrgyz central election
commission, Damir Lisovsky, said.
He expressed confidence that "the election will be fair, democratic
and transparent and readiness for the election to be monitored by twice
more international observers."
At present, there are six candidates to run for presidency. Among them
are ex-prime minister and single candidate from the opposition Almazbek
Atambayev, Incumbent President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, leader of Zhoomart
(Tulip) movement, Nurlan Motuyev, doctor who runs drug rehabilitation
clinic Zhenishbek Nazaraliyev, leader of Ak Shumkar Party Temir Sariyev
and democratic activist Toktayim Umetaliyeva.


.Russia registers falling crime - Interior Ministry.

TULA, July 21 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's crimes tumbled by 7.1 percent in
January-June as against the same period of last year, First Deputy
Interior Minister, Col.-Gen. Mikhail Sukhodolsky said.
Over this period there were 1.57 million crimes nationwide.
"Downward trends were registered in 64 Russian regions, while onward
trends - in 19 regions, including the Republic of Mari El, the Tomsk,
Pskov and Astrakhan regions," he said.
Almost half of the registered crimes is related to stealing. Of them
570,000 are thefts, down by 15 percent; 107,000 - robberies (down by 14
percent) and 16,000 - robbery and assault (down by 12 percent).
Violation of law and order in public places is also on decline.
"Preventive measures in public places helped to reduce crimes by 2.1
percent. Deliberate murders declined by 5.7 percent and attempted murders
- by 10.5 percent," Sukhodolsky said.
Alcohol-related crimes decreased by 8.3 percent in all federal
districts, except for 15 regions. Along with this drug crimes is on the
rise. In the first six months their number reached 5,200, up by 18 percent
as against that last year.
The number of crimes committed by repeat offenders increased by 2.7
percent.



.Ukraine, Libya plan to create free trade zone.

KIEV, July 21 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine and Libya plan to create a free
trade zone, Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko told a meeting of the
bilateral commission on cooperation on Monday.
She initiated the creation of working groups on energy, agriculture,
aircraft-building, military and technical cooperation to finalize concrete
agreements.
Timoshenko confirmed that Ukraine will fulfil its contract obligations
on the export of three An-74 planes to Libya in early 2010. The second
plane will be delivered already this year.
The Ukrainian prime minister expressed interest in Libya's
participation in the project to build an oil refinery in Ukraine and fill
it with Libya's resources. Ukraine is ready to provide 100,000 hectares to
Libya for growing grain.
Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmudi said his country welcomes
participation of Ukraine's companies in exploration and development of
Libya's oil fields.
He also stressed the need to speed up the project on growing grain in
Ukraine for Libya.

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