Sadyr Zhaparov, who had been regarded as the favorite before the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan, gained more than 79% of the votes after processing almost 98% of the ballots. What makes his victory even more convincing is that on Sunday more than 80% of the citizens of the republic voted in favor of a presidential transition in a referendum held simultaneously with the elections.
There were 17 candidates running for president of Kyrgyzstan, and experts agreed that Zhaparov was the obvious favorite in the race, but differed in their assessment of who might be his closest pursuer. According to preliminary CEC data, Adakhan Madumarov came second, scoring just over 6.5%. Babyrzhan Tolbaev came in third with less than 3%. The other candidates did not gain even 2%.
Winner's program
Soon after the results were announced, when Zhaparov's convincing victory in the first round was obvious, he held a press conference in which he spoke about the priorities of his work as head of the Kyrgyz state. Zhaparov shed light on how the constitutional reform, for which the referendum was held, would be implemented.
According to him, the draft will soon be submitted to Parliament for consideration, and after the adoption of the new Constitution, political reforms will take place, which, he stressed, should be completed by June 1. Zhaparov promised a new government and parliamentary structure.
The politician, admitting that he didn't expect such a broad support of the voters, promised to lead the country out of the crisis in 2-3 years.
With regard to foreign policy, Zhaparov, answering the question of TASS, noted that Russia has been and will remain the republic's main strategic partner.
Situation after the elections
After the election results were announced, Zhaparov's supporters did not celebrate his victory in the streets of Bishkek. Loud music could be heard on the Kyrgyz capital's central square, but soon afterward, the equipment was removed. There were no mass festivities or protests in the city center.
Some candidates who lost the elections refused to accept the results of the voting, but stressed that they do not intend to hold rallies.
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Photo: Vladimir Voronin / AP / TASS
Based on materials from TASS