BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission (BShK) says 20 potential candidates for the January 10 presidential election have submitted the required fees and signatures from their supporters to register for the vote.
The commission made the announcement on December 4 after the deadline expired at midnight for candidates to submit the 1 million-som ($11,800) fee and a petition with at least 30,000 signatures from supporters.
The BShK will now check the validity of the signatures on the petitions before announcing the final list of presidential candidates on December 15.
Initially, 65 potential candidates officially informed BShK about their intentions to take part in the early presidential poll.
The early presidential election was called after a political crisis caused by mass protests in early October over the outcome of parliamentary elections led to the resignation of the government and prompted President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to step down.
Amid the October demonstrations, Sadyr Japarov was released from prison, where he had been serving a sentence for kidnapping a political rival. H e was later voted prime minister by lawmakers and took over presidential powers following Jeenbekov's resignation.
In mid-November, Japarov suspended his duties as acting president and prime minister to become eligible to seek the presidency, because Kyrgyz law does not allow anyone serving as president in an interim capacity to run in an election for the post.
20 Potential Kyrgyz Presidential Candidates Submit Fees And Signatures
Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission will announce a final list of presidential candidates later this month. (file photo)