Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov votes at country's snap parliamentary elections

The president of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, cast his vote on Sunday as the country held snap parliamentary elections.

After voting in Bishkek, he called on citizens to take part and said the entire process was automated to prevent the ballot manipulation seen in previous years.

Japarov told journalists that computers now count and issue all results, removing human involvement. He said past elections had been marred by interference, including altered ballots and results shifted in favour of certain candidates.

Allies of Japarov are expected to secure a strong victory. A win for his supporters would shape the run-up to the 2027 presidential vote, when Japarov is expected to seek another term.

Ahead of the election, Japarov strengthened ties with Moscow. Russia maintains military bases in Kyrgyzstan and is a major destination for Kyrgyz migrant workers. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Bishkek last week, with his image displayed on billboards across the city.

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