UPDATE - ‘Political stability to end Kyrgyzstan economic crisis'

UPDATES WITH GREETINGS FROM KAZAKHSTAN'S PRESIDENT

By Nazir Aliyev Tayfur and Jeyhun Aliyev

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan / ANKARA, Turkey (AA) – Kyrgyzstan’s economic crisis will end in a couple of years if political stability is achieved, the country’s presidential frontrunner said Sunday.

Speaking at a news conference, Sadyr Japarov, who won Sunday’s presidential elections, according to unofficial results, said a year or two is not enough to solve the country’s problems.

"If political stability is achieved, I will get Kyrgyzstan out of the economic crisis within three to four years," Japarov stated.

Pointing out that corruption has taken root in every area of the country over the past 30 years, he stressed that everyone should support the state by shouldering responsibility in the fight against it.

Japarov said voters elected him to fight corruption.

"We will not repeat the mistakes of the previous government. We will stay away from political oppression. We will not tolerate those who violate the rule of law," he said.

The former prime minister told Anadolu Agency they will make efforts to strengthen Kazakh-Turkish relations.

Nurjan Shaildabekova, president of the Central Election Commission, told reporters that Japarov secured around 79% of the vote, citing preliminary results.

The country also voted to decide on its form of government: parliamentary, presidential, or no change.

Shaildabekova said that around 34% of the voters voted in the referendum, with 81.2% of them voting for the presidential form of government.

- Greetings from Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Japarov over a phone call and said the outcome of the election is "evidence of popular support" for the program proposed by him to further strengthening statehood and ensuring sustainable socio-economic development of Kyrgyzstan, according to the Kazakh presidency.

Tokayev wished Japarov "great success" in his state activities "for the benefit of fraternal Kyrgyzstan."

"President Tokayev expressed his firm commitment to the course of further developing of cooperation with fraternal Kyrgyzstan in the spirit of friendship, good-neighborliness and strategic partnership, which meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of our countries," said the written statement.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their readiness to cooperate on the bilateral agenda, as well as expressed mutual interest in "strengthening cooperation" within the international organizations, the statement added.

Tokayev also invited Japarov to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan.

Japarov, for his part, accepted the invitation and said he will pay his first foreign visit as a president to Kazakhstan.

He also congratulated Tokayev on holding "successful" parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan.

The Kyrgyz leader thanked Tokayev and the Kazakh nation for the "continued support" of Kyrgyzstan in its "aspiration for stable and creative development."​​​​​​​

* Additional writing by Seda Sevencan