Sadyr Japarov urges citizens not to fall for provocations ahead of election
President Sadyr Japarov stated that he has received information regarding potential attempts to provoke an interethnic conflict between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan ahead of the presidential election. According to him, certain politicians may attempt to cause unrest and disrupt the voting. The head of state wrote about this on Facebook.
Japarov noted that while these plans are currently only being discussed, he does not rule out attempts to implement them.
"Unscrupulous politicians with malicious intent, who are hiding bad intentions, are discussing plans to incite an interethnic conflict between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the south of the country before the election in order to provoke unrest and disrupt the voting," the statement reads.
The president urged citizens not to succumb to provocations and false rumors.
"Therefore, dear compatriots, I appeal to each of you: whether you are Uzbek or Kyrgyz, do not give in to any provocative statements and do not allow yourselves to be drawn into a conflict," he stated.
The head of state also recalled the events of 1990 and 2010, when interethnic clashes led to civilian deaths. Separately, he appealed to the older generation with a call to warn youth about the consequences of such conflicts.
"Do not allow young people, who do not know what an interethnic conflict is, to become puppets in the hands of provocateurs with impure intentions who crave only power," Japarov noted.
According to the president, the state has sufficient capabilities to suppress unrest, but any conflict would inevitably harm civilians.
"Should a conflict suddenly arise, the state has sufficient strength and capabilities to suppress it within one or two days. However, unfortunately, in such a case there will inevitably be casualties," the president stated.
Japarov urged citizens to report provocative actions to the regional divisions of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or local authorities. Separately, the head of state linked potential provocations to the political struggle surrounding the construction of the China — Kyrgyzstan — Uzbekistan railway.
"Among our ill-wishing politicians, there are those who fear the completion of the China — Kyrgyzstan — Uzbekistan railway construction the most. Do not fall for their provocations under any circumstances!" he noted.
At the end of the appeal, Japarov warned of measures against those who attempt to provoke a conflict.
"Kyrgyzstan and all the people of Kyrgyzstan need only peace and stability!" he concluded.
Presidential election in Kyrgyzstan
As a reminder, on November 10, 2026, Sadyr Japarov submitted an application to the Central Election Commission to run for the presidency as a self-nominated candidate. He announced his intention to run for a second term in August.
Japarov has held the office of head of state since January 28, 2021. In the early presidential election on January 10 of that year, he received 79.2% of the vote.
Previously, the Constitutional Court clarified that Japarov's current six-year term expires in 2027 and is considered the first under the 2021 Constitution. This allows him to participate in the presidential election again.
The regular election is scheduled for January 27, 2027. To register as a candidate, one must collect at least 30,000 voter signatures, confirm proficiency in the state language, and make an electoral deposit of 1 million som.
