Farid Niyazov about debate on date of presidential election

Adviser to the President of Kyrgyzstan Farid Niyazov commented on the debate on the date of presidential elections.

«In recent days, the question of the date of the presidential election has been raised again, which was discussed almost six years ago in the Parliament. In 2011, the talks ended with the adoption of a constitutional law, in which the deputies clearly stated that the presidential elections «are held on the third Sunday in November, when the term of office of the elected president expires." The law was initiated by a group of deputies (including the leader of Ata Meken Omurbek Tekebayev) and signed at the same time by Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva," he said.

«At the same time, President Almazbek Atambayev has repeatedly stated about the possibility of adopting amendments to the constitutional law and, accordingly, the legislative definition of a new election date. As far as we know, the leader of the SDPK faction Isa Omurkulov submitted to the Parliament an official proposal on such an amendment and the appointment of elections for the «third Sunday of October," that is, a month earlier than in the current law. According to many politicians and experts, this date looks like the most optimal one.

It is well known that the President Almazbek Atambayev is the initiator of the electoral system reform and the guarantor of transparent elections in Kyrgyzstan. Exactly from him the people are waiting for guarantees of fair elections and associate his name with positive changes in the electoral process. Therefore, he always puts these issues before the government, the Central Election Commission and other state bodies," Farid Niyazov said.

«Firstly, Omurbek Tekebayev himself was one of the initiators of the adoption of the current constitutional law. Secondly, who prevented Ata-Meken faction from advocating for a change in the constitutional law earlier? Thirdly, it looks like that Ata-Meken deputies just wanted to introduce another discord into the political life of Kyrgyzstan. Fourthly, the definition of the term for which the president or parliament is elected doesn’t hinder the fact that the legislation of many countries of the world allows for the preservation of the powers of current presidents or deputies before the assumption of office of the newly elected successors. In Russia, for example, the Constitution also determines the term of election for 6 years, but in case of failed elections, the federal law provides for the continuation of powers of the acting president prior to the inauguration of the newly elected one," the Adviser said.

Earlier, Ata Meken appealed to the deputies to consider the date of the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan.