Kyrgyz Voters Cast Ballots Using Biometric ID Cards

In a first for Central Asia, voters in Kyrgyzstan cast ballots in parliamentary elections on October 4 using biometric ID cards. The cards were scanned to identify voters by their fingerprints in a bid to stamp out electoral fraud. But election monitors criticized the new system, saying it 'needed further work'. Many people complained they were unable to vote because they missed the biometric registration deadline. (RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)