Photo: Press Service of the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan
Early elections to the Jogorku Kenesh were held on November 30 in Kyrgyzstan and abroad. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), about 4.3 million people were on the voter rolls, but more than 1.5 million citizens received ballots. Turnout reached 36.9%, 24.kg reported, citing CEC data.
The CEC noted that automatic ballot scanners recorded nearly 1.4 million ballots, of which more than 1.375 million were later deemed valid. More than 21,000 ballots were rejected.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported high voter activity among Kyrgyz citizens living abroad. A record number of polling stations — 100 locations in 89 cities across 34 countries — were opened for the elections. Due to time differences, the final station to close was in San Francisco, which shut down on the morning of December 1, Bishkek time.
According to the ministry, more than 26,000 citizens voted abroad. By comparison, only about 10,000 Kyrgyzstanis cast ballots overseas in the 2021 parliamentary elections.
Dmitry Kobitsky, secretary-general of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, commented on the turnout, saying that 36.9% is not critical — and in fact slightly higher than the 34% recorded during the previous elections.
CEC chairman Tynchtyk Shainazarov stressed that automation ensures election results cannot be falsified. He said the commission received 269 complaints of potential violations during the campaign period, most concerning breaches of campaign rules, possible vote buying, the spread of defamatory information about candidates, or the misuse of administrative resources.
On election day, 67 complaints were filed, four of them related to technical issues. Specialists later confirmed that there were no system malfunctions — the equipment functioned flawlessly.
Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev said the elections were held calmly, efficiently, and at a high level.
“These elections were conducted entirely using an automated system. The authorities did not interfere, and no administrative resources were used,” he stated.
He added that the cabinet is prepared to work with the newly elected parliament. Lawmakers and the government must soon consider key documents, including the government’s 2025 annual report and the 2026 state budget.
International observers also praised the process. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s monitoring mission described the elections as “open, free, and legitimate.”
According to preliminary automatic tallies covering 97% of ballots, “Sputnik Kyrgyzstan” reported that leading candidates include sitting deputies, bloggers, and other well-known public figures. The outlet published a preliminary list of all 90 members of the new convocation, while the CEC will announce the final results by December 14.
ℹ️ On September 25, deputies of the seventh convocation voted to dissolve parliament early in order to increase the gap between parliamentary and presidential elections. The next presidential election is scheduled for January 2027.
Under the new system approved in June and applied for the first time on November 30, Kyrgyzstan is divided into 30 multi-member districts, each electing three deputies. One seat in each district is reserved under a gender quota, ensuring at least 30 women will serve in parliament.
