Kyrgyzstan CEC and state agencies set candidate vetting rules for Jan 27, 2027 presidential election

September 29, 2026 at 12:53 PM2 min

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Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission (CEC) and state agencies are defining procedures to vet presidential candidates for the election scheduled on January 27, 2027. The checks will cover citizenship, criminal records, ties to criminal or armed groups, and state language certification. Registration of candidates must be completed by December 23, 2026.

Key Facts

The presidential election is scheduled for January 27, 2027, and the day of voting will be a day off.
Candidate registration must be completed by December 23, 2026.
The CEC approved election preparation and conduct expenses of 1.2 billion soms in September.
Candidates must submit a state language certificate of at least 'Above Average' level.
The CEC verifies candidate documents within 10 calendar days after receipt.

Candidate Vetting Procedures

CEC Chairman Tynchtyk Shainazarov held a working meeting with representatives of the Supreme Court, Prosecutor General's Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Service for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations, Border Service, State Institution 'Kyzmat', and 'Kyrgyztest'. State agencies must establish operational exchange of information necessary to verify candidates' compliance with legal requirements. The checks will include citizenship, criminal records, possible involvement in criminal and armed groups, and possession of a state language certificate. Participants separately discussed verification of state language certificates and organization of candidate testing.

Registration Requirements

For registration, a candidate must present a state language certificate of at least 'Above Average' level. The CEC also requires declarations on absence of citizenship of another state and on presence or absence of a criminal record or a criminal case terminated on non-rehabilitating grounds. Grounds for refusal of registration may include information that the candidate is or was on preventive or operational-preventive registration as a person involved in an organized criminal group, criminal community, or armed group. The CEC verifies candidate documents within 10 calendar days after their receipt.

Election Calendar and Financing

The CEC previously approved a calendar plan for preparation of the presidential election covering nomination and registration of candidates, campaigning, campaign financing, voting, and determination of results. In September, the commission approved expenses for preparation and conduct of the election in the amount of 1.2 billion soms. The CEC also approved the procedure for collecting signatures in support of candidates through the state portal 'Tunduk'. Kyrgyz citizens will be able to support several candidates, but each candidate only once.