Acting Kyrgyz President Japarov Steps Down to Run for Presidency in January, His Office Says

BISHKEK (Sputnik) – Acting Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has stepped down as president and prime minister to run in the presidential election on January 10, the leader’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the number of candidates to the presidential post exceeded 50 some six hours before the end of the deadline for submitting the relevant documents.

Apart from Japarov, former parliamentary speaker Kanat Isayev also resigned from the post in early November to run in the election.

Among other candidates, there are the leader of the opposition Butun Kyrgyzstan party, Adakhan Madumarov; former Deputy Interior Minister Kursan Asanov; former judge of the Constitutional Chamber and leader of the opposition Reforma party Klara Sooronkulova.

In addition, a number of former lawmakers, civil activists, teachers, lawyers, pensioners, heads of local governments and more than a dozen temporarily unemployed decided to run in the presidential election.

Early October, mass protests broke out in Kyrgyzstan after the results of the parliamentary elections were announced. Amid the clashes between the protesters and the security forces, supporters of opposition parties seized the parliament building, where the presidential administration is located. Kyrgyzstan’s Central Election Commission later announced that it had annulled the election results.

Stability was only restored after the voluntary resignation of then-President Sooronbay Jeenbekov on 15 October. Power and responsibilities of the head of state have since been transferred to Japarov.

Sourse: sputniknews.com