Voters in Kyrgyzstan are being called to the polls today to determine the new composition of parliament, DPA reported.
Just under 4.3 million voters have the right to vote. According to the constitution, the elections were supposed to be held in November 2026, but were called off earlier - officially with the argument to avoid the possibility of holding them too close to the presidential elections planned for early 2027.
According to analysts, the new elections aim primarily to increase the power of President Sadyr Zhaparov, who is leading the country in an increasingly authoritarian direction.
The citizens of Kyrgyzstan will elect a total of 90 deputies. Under the recent reform of the electoral system, party lists have been abolished and the country is divided into single-member districts.
Polling stations will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bulgarian time). The first results are expected to be announced shortly after the end of election day.
Kyrgyzstan has a population of about 7 million. The current parliament was elected in 2021 after a severe political crisis that caused violent clashes. This also led to the resignation of then-President Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
Zhaparov made constitutional changes. Shortly before the elections, several prominent opposition figures were arrested, including Kadyrbek Atambayev, the son of former President Almazbek Atambayev, who lives in exile in Spain.
They are accused of attempting to organize mass unrest after the elections.