Kyrgyz people set for presidential election

Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming presidential election is less than a week away. A dozen contenders will take part in Sunday’s presidential vote, and the two leading contenders both say they expect to win.

One is a former prime minister and the choice of the outgoing president, and the other is a charismatic businessman. Almazbek Atambayev’s choice to succeed him is Sooronbai Jeenbekov. His main challenger is Omurbek Babanov. He served briefly as prime minister in 2012.

After the second revolution, the constitution was changed to allow presidents a single, six-year term. Atambayev won the 2011 election and is now preparing to step down.

The capital, Bishkek, is plastered with billboards promoting various candidates, and the leading candidates draw thousands of people to their rallies, the Guardian reported.

If neither candidate secures an outright majority in the first round of voting, a second-round runoff will take place. A voting system that uses voters’ biometric data to prevent repeat voting or ballot stuffing makes foul play on the day impossible, say western observers, which perhaps accounts for the ferocity of campaigning and official pressure in the buildup to the vote.

Kyrgyzstan's State Border Service said they tightened control along the border between the Central Asian neighbors amid tension over the October 15 presidential election in Kyrgyzstan.