A spoken word is not a sparrow

A word spoken is a sparrow flown

Former Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Omurbek Suvanaliyev and ex-head of the Service for Combating Economic Crimes Saimyk Zhapykeyev cannot yet be registered as candidates for the presidential election, as they failed to pass the mandatory Kyrgyz language exam. This is reported by the publication 24.kg.

As specified, both politicians took the test at the "Kyrgyztest" institution on October 8. Suvanaliyev admitted that he lacked written work skills. At the same time, according to the general, he had been preparing for the test for about 20 days.

"I worked as a manager for 40 years. Managers usually listen and give instructions, but they don't write much themselves. I also typed little on the computer. Therefore, the written part turned out to be more difficult for me. I regret that I could not reach the B2 level," said the ex-head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Zhapykeyev, in turn, disagreed with the exam results. He emphasized that he studied in the Kyrgyz language at school and university and is capable of conducting a full conversation in the state language. The former head of the financial police also pointed out the complexity of the questions and doubted the final grade for the written part of the tasks, which the presidential candidates completed on a computer.

"I worked in the prosecutor's office for many years, I investigated most cases in the Kyrgyz language. But I failed the exam, just like General Suvanaliyev," Zhapykeyev noted.

At the same time, journalist Aslan Sartbayev published the detailed exam results of both candidates on social networks. Thus, Suvanaliyev scored 87 points for reading, 84 for listening, 56 for writing, and 65 for speaking. Zhapykeyev's scores were as follows: 63 for reading, 76 for listening, 55 for writing, and 63 for speaking.

According to the "Kyrgyztest" rules, if a candidate scores less than 60 points in at least one block, the exam is considered failed.

At the same time, the political figures will likely be able to retake the tests. However, the issue of retaking the test remains unclear for now. "Kyrgyztest" stated that the relevant regulations fall under the jurisdiction of the Central Election Commission. The CEC, in turn, replied that such issues, on the contrary, should be decided by "Kyrgyztest".

The presidential election in Kyrgyzstan is scheduled for January 27, 2027. The current head of the republic, Sadyr Japarov, previously confirmed his intention to participate in the vote. However, the first person to submit an official application to the CEC was entrepreneur Aimen Kasenov, who registered his candidacy through self-nomination. The acceptance of applications from candidates will last until November 13 of this year.