China and Russia to test Japarov after Kyrgyz election cakewalk

Central Asian state's new president faces pressure to deliver as economy sinks

Sadyr Japarov, who was in prison a little over three months ago, positioned himself as a "man of the people" and trounced his election rivals. © Reuters

PAUL BARTLETT, Contributing writer

January 11, 2021 17:06 JST

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyz voters have elected a populist new president and simultaneously chosen how they want to be governed in a referendum. In contrast to the violent scenes that followed rigged parliamentary polls last October, the voting on Sunday passed peacefully, with the favorite Sadyr Japarov cruising to a landslide victory.