Sadyr Japarov

Russia as a first destination for a Kyrgyz president is no surprise; it’s essentially tradition.

Kyrgyzstan’s new president wants to open a “new page in history” with constitutional reform, but what exactly will it look like?

“Our goal is to create a society with a dictatorship of the law, where justice and prosperity reign,” Japarov said in his inaugural remarks

Will Japarov’s economic amnesty allow Matraimov to avoid jail time?

Sadyr Japarov’s rise to power and a return to presidentialism demonstrate the limits of democracy promotion in Kyrgyzstan.

A presidential election in Kyrgyzstan and a parliamentary election in Kazakhstan kick off 2021 in Central Asia.

In addition to electing Sadyr Japarov to the presidency, Kyrgyz voted by a huge margin to shift back to a strong presidential government system. 

Japarov soared past 16 other candidates with 79 percent of the vote in the January 10 election.

Four opposition candidates, in anticipation of a second round run-off for the presidency, have pledged to unite behind a single candidate. But Sadyr Japarov is the favorite to win in the first round.

When asked in early December which politicians they trusted, 48 percent of surveyed Kyrgyz said Sadyr Japarov -- 31 percent said they trusted no politicians.

Mamytov, Kyrgyzstan's second acting president since October, is a close ally of Sadyr Japarov, who hopes to win election to the real presidency on January 10.

Kyrgyz are set to vote on a controversial new constitution and for a new president on the same day, January 10.