Forward and with a song

**Full Steam Ahead**

In August, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov gave an interview to journalist Ali Toktakunov, which became his first official statement within the framework of the election campaign. Although the vote is still several months away — on January 27, 2027 — the manner of conversation and the emphases placed clearly showed: the head of state intends to run for a second term. Additional intensity is lent to the situation by the fact that the start of the election race coincided with the day of the hearing of the criminal case of his recent ally — the former head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) Kamchybek Tashiev, who is accused of an attempted coup d'état.

"I have already said that I will run for a second term. The road is open to everyone. Whoever wants to run — let them run. As the saying goes, more power to them. We are not restricting anyone," Japarov stated, adding that the elections will be "as fair as possible."

Experts believe that this statement effectively puts an end to the prolonged disputes over Japarov's right to re-election. Legal ambiguity arose after the 2021 constitutional reform: Japarov was elected in January 2021 under the old Constitution for a six-year term — until January 2027; however, the new Constitution established a five-year term and restrictions on re-election. Now the issue is essentially closed: the elections will take place, and the incumbent president is participating in them.

Special attention in the interview was paid to the resignation of Kamchybek Tashiev in February 2026. Japarov acknowledged the merits of the former head of the intelligence service but stated that he would never return to the law enforcement agencies. In the interview, the president also said: "I wanted to make Tashiev president." A few years ago, he proposed that the former head of the SCNS participate in future elections, but the latter replied: "No, I will not go against you."

Observers saw a different meaning in this episode. Many experts viewed Tashiev's departure as the elimination of a competitor whose level of influence in the security sector was high. As political analyst Adil Turdukulov noted, on a number of issues Tashiev's rating even exceeded the president's. Japarov emphasized in the interview that the decision on the resignation was made "in the interests of the state, to prevent a split in society." However, the timing and circumstances — a few months before the start of the presidential campaign — still raise questions.

The president rejects all accusations of corruption and calls his opponents "fairytale writers." The economic part of the interview was built around revenues from the largest gold mine, Kumtor. Japarov recalled that during his rule, the net profit of the enterprise exceeded 2 billion dollars. According to him, hundreds of schools and thousands of kilometers of roads were built with these funds.

As analysts note, Japarov is consistently shaping the image of an effective manager who directs the country's natural wealth for the benefit of the people. Summarizing the results of his first term, he translates general promises into concrete figures. The only question remains: will real rivals appear on this field, or will the elections, as some experts suggest, turn into a formality with a pre-determined outcome.