Three representatives of Tajikistan to monitor presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan

DUSHANBE, September 6, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Three representatives of Tajikistan will monitor presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan.

According to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) of Tajikistan, the CCER head Shermuhammad Shohiyon, the CCER member Nasim Mirzomurodov and Tajik Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Asomuddin Saidov will monitor the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan.

Early presidential elections will be held in Kyrgyzstan on October 30, 2011. The elections follow the 2010 Kyrgyz riots, during which the incumbent President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted by protesters and an interim government led by Roza Otunbayeva was formed.  An election and reform plan was unveiled on April 19, 2010.  However, Ata-Zhurt, which backed Bakiyev, won a plurality in the Kyrgyz parliamentary election, 2010 amid a platform of rolling back constitutional changes enacted by the interim administration.

The incumbent Otunbayeva has stated she will not run in the election.

Under the new constitution, the presidential term is six years long, but barred from re-election.

Eighty-three candidates filed to run in the election by the deadline of August 16, 2011.  16 candidates were nominated by parties, while the rest self-nominated.  The candidates will have to collect 30,000 signatures, pay a fee of 100,000 Kyrgyz som and pass a televised language test.