Nationalist Consolidates Power
On Friday, the parliament of Kyrgyzstan voted to end the state of emergency enacted by the president. The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, took the role of president after former President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigned on Thursday, October 15, 2020. Japarov assumed the role after parliament speaker Kanatbek Isayev turned it down, even though Isayev is constitutionally first in line and the Prime Minister is second. He is a former presidential adviser and former Member of Parliament.
The fact that Japarov now has the powers of both the Kyrgyzstan Ends State of Emergency Nationalist Consolidates Power President and Prime Minister has prompted concern. Since assuming the role of President, Japarov has moved around a few government positions and made some statements about the foreign relations of Kyrgyzstan. However, as the interim president, Japarov cannot run in the presidential election. Kyrgyzstan, in its 28-year history, has seen three presidents including Jeenbekov who were ousted during the last fifteen years.