Kyrgyzstan Local Politics - The Times Of Central Asia

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Livestock

Kyrgyzstan Loosens Livestock Export Ban, But Only by Air

The Kyrgyz government has made an exception to its current ban on livestock exports, allowing horses to be exported by air under specific conditions. According to an official decree, the temporary export restrictions do not apply to horses transported via aircraft. Other permitted exceptions include the transit of livestock through Kyrgyz territory, the export of animals for participation in international competitions, and the gifting of horses to foreign dignitaries and international organizations. The exclusive right to export horses abroad has been granted to the state-owned enterprise Kyrgyz Agroholding. Customs and border control authorities have been ordered to step up oversight to prevent illegal animal exports. The Cabinet of Ministers initially imposed a six-month ban on the export of cattle, horses, sheep, and goats in response to rising meat prices in the domestic market. Authorities cited the widening price gap between Kyrgyzstan and neighboring countries as a key factor, with significantly higher meat prices abroad prompting farmers to sell livestock across borders.

Hydropower

Japarov Pledges Energy Independence Within 2.5 Years

Kyrgyzstan will meet its domestic electricity needs during the winter months within the next two and a half years, President Sadyr Japarov announced during the inauguration of the Kara-Kul Hydropower Plant (HPP) on October 27. The shift will be made possible by the completion of nearly 40 new hydropower plants and a coal-fired power station at the Kara-Keche deposit. “In two and a half years, we will no longer import electricity during winter. We will have enough domestically produced power,” Japarov stated, urging citizens to remain patient amid ongoing seasonal shortages. Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev recently warned that the upcoming winter could be one of the most challenging in recent memory due to critically low water levels in the Toktogul Reservoir, which supplies around 40% of the country’s electricity. Kyrgyzstan has long struggled with chronic electricity deficits in winter, as many households rely heavily on electric heating. In 2024, electricity consumption reached 18.3 billion kWh, an increase of 1.1 billion kWh from the previous year. To bridge the shortfall, Kyrgyzstan imported 3.6 billion kWh from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Additional volumes have been secured for the 2025-2026 winter period. The newly commissioned Kara-Kul HPP, located on the Kara-Suu River in the southern Jalal-Abad region, is part of a broader national energy strategy. Built at a cost of $25 million, the facility has two generating units with a combined capacity of 18 MW and is expected to produce 104 million kWh annually, offsetting roughly 2.5% of the current winter shortfall. Japarov emphasized that the project is one component of Kyrgyzstan’s drive for energy independence. Preparations are also underway for the construction of the Kambarata-1 HPP, set to be the largest hydropower plant in both Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. The plant will have an installed capacity of 1,860 MW and is expected to generate 5.6 billion kWh annually. The Kambarata-1 project is being developed in cooperation with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with technical and financial support from the European Union. During the Global Gateway Forum held in Brussels on October 9-10, Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev met with regional counterparts and EU institutions. Key outcomes from the forum included the signing of €900 million in Memoranda of Understanding between the EU, European Investment Bank (EIB), and the three Central Asian states. A feasibility study, co-financed by the EU and implemented by the World Bank, is also underway. Additionally, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed MoUs with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, and is considering an overall financing package of €1.3 billion to support the project.

Poverty

Poverty in Central Asia: Who Is Living and Who Is Just Surviving

A new analysis by Ranking.kz reveals that Kazakhstan currently has the most favorable poverty indicators among Central Asian countries, while Tajikistan records the highest levels of deprivation. The findings also reflect significant shifts in global poverty estimates following a revision of the World Bank’s methodology. According to Our World in Data, by 2024, the global number of people living in extreme poverty had risen to 817 million, an increase of 125 million compared to previous figures. However, this jump does not signal worsening global conditions. Instead, it stems from a change in measurement criteria. In June 2024, the World Bank raised the international poverty line from $2.15 to $3 per day in purchasing power parity (PPP), based on 2021 prices. This methodological update expanded the scope of people counted as poor, even as real incomes among the poorest rose by approximately 16%. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of global poverty. Of the 30 countries with the highest poverty rates, 24 are located on the continent. In Central Asia, Tajikistan ranks as the region’s poorest nation, with 61.3% of its population living on less than $3 per day. In contrast, the poverty rate stands at just 2.74% in Kyrgyzstan, 2.72% in Uzbekistan, and 1.93% in Armenia. Kazakhstan reports the region’s lowest rate of extreme poverty; just 0.04% of the population lives below the international threshold. Data for Turkmenistan is not available. According to Kazakhstan’s National Statistics Bureau, the share of citizens earning less than the cost of the basic food basket declined from 0.2% in 2023 to 0.1% in 2024. For the first time, the gap between urban and rural poverty disappeared; previously, rural areas had higher rates. In absolute terms, 16,500 people lived below the food minimum in the first quarter of 2025. The proportion of the population earning less than the national subsistence minimum also decreased, falling from 5.2% in 2023 to 5% in 2024. The breakdown shows 3.8% in cities and 6.9% in villages. The total number of people below the subsistence minimum dropped to 1 million. As of early 2025, the figure had improved further to 4.5%, with the minimum raised to 52,500 tenge (approximately $98) per capita. In terms of daily consumption, Kazakhstani citizens spent an average of $7 per day in 2024. Based on World Bank data, the international dollar was equivalent to 160.93 tenge, reflecting the amount needed in Kazakhstan to purchase a comparable basket of goods and services to that of $1 in the United States.

Kyrgyz Parliament

300 OSCE Observers to Monitor Kyrgyzstan’s Parliamentary Elections

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will deploy 300 observers to monitor Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming parliamentary elections. The country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) confirmed the news in a statement published on its official website. According to the CEC, 30 long-term observers will begin work next week, monitoring the electoral process across all regions of Kyrgyzstan. An additional 300 short-term observers will arrive closer to election day to assess voting procedures and the vote count. Ahead of the vote, CEC Chairman Tyntyk Shainazarov met in Bishkek with representatives from the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Mission head Tamás Mészáros stated that the team had arrived in full and was ready to begin its work. The CEC noted that OSCE representatives expressed interest in attending meetings of the election commission and its working groups, both prior to and following the elections. Both sides affirmed their commitment to open and comprehensive cooperation. Shainazarov highlighted that Kyrgyzstan’s revised electoral system is designed to ensure fair representation of all regions in parliament, uphold gender balance, and facilitate remote voting. For the first time, a remote voting system will allow citizens to vote in any district without needing absentee ballots or additional paperwork. Ballots will be generated at polling stations, listing candidates from the relevant constituency. “We have achieved our goal: voters will vote only once and only for one candidate. This eliminates the possibility of fraud and other violations. I believe this is a great achievement,” Shainazarov said. The OSCE mission also showed particular interest in the technical details of the new system. Observers were briefed on the equipment and voting procedures ahead of the election, which will take place on November 30. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the parliament voted on September 25 to dissolve itself, setting the stage for early elections. The decision was approved by 84 deputies, with five abstentions and one absence. The upcoming vote will be conducted under revised rules. The country has been divided into 30 constituencies, each of which will elect three deputies.

Water Crisis

Kyrgyzstan Highlights Water Crisis at FAO’s Rome Water Dialogue

Kyrgyzstan requires $1.2 billion in investment to resolve drinking water supply issues in 960 villages nationwide, Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Bakyt Torobayev announced during the Rome Water Dialogue 2025. The event took place at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. According to the ministry, Kyrgyzstan has 2,014 villages, but only 796 currently have access to clean drinking water. While pipeline construction is underway in 258 villages, 960 remain without a reliable supply. “If we don’t invest the necessary funds today, restoring the lost potential tomorrow will cost three times as much. It’s time to give water the same level of attention as oil and gas,” Torobayev told the international forum. The minister emphasized that the conservation and rational use of water resources is one of the most urgent challenges in Central Asia. Accelerated climate change and population growth are intensifying water shortages and threatening food security across the region. Torobayev noted that approximately 10 million people in Central Asia still lack access to clean drinking water. He also cited figures showing that 80% of the region’s water infrastructure is outdated, with water losses reaching up to 55%. He underscored the importance of protecting Kyrgyzstan’s mountain glaciers, which serve as critical water sources for major regional rivers that supply neighboring countries, including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Another urgent issue, according to the minister, is the declining water level in Lake Issyk-Kul, a body of water with regional environmental and climatic significance. “The tragic example of the Aral Sea shows that the loss of natural resources can lead to irreversible consequences. Water security is not only an environmental issue but also a matter of national and global sustainable development,” Torobayev warned.

Kyrgyzstan Elections

Kyrgyzstan to Open 100 Overseas Polling Stations for 2025 Parliamentary Elections

The Central Election Commission and Referenda (CEC) of Kyrgyzstan will open 100 polling stations abroad for the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 30, 2025, nearly double the number established during the previous election cycle, when 51 polling stations operated globally. The announcement was made by CEC Chairman Tynchtyk Shainazarov during a press conference in Bishkek. According to Shainazarov, the largest number of polling stations will be set up in Russia, 40 in total, including seven in Moscow and others across major Russian cities. Approximately 400,000 Kyrgyz citizens are officially registered as residing in Russia, the highest figure among all foreign countries. Additional polling stations will be opened in Turkey (8), the United States (6, including two in Chicago), South Korea (4), Italy (3), and in Germany and China (2 each). Several other capital cities worldwide will also host single polling stations. Shainazarov noted that the CEC has already dispatched five teams to Russian cities to conduct trial runs of the voting process. Test elections will be held on October 10, 20, and 30 in both Kyrgyzstan and Russia to identify potential technical or procedural issues. “I urge our citizens living in Russia to come and observe how the new system will function, how the equipment operates and how it prints ballots corresponding to the voter’s home district. Seeing the process firsthand will help people understand how the upcoming elections will be conducted,” Shainazarov said. Responding to a question from The Times of Central Asia about whether Kyrgyz citizens abroad would be able to vote remotely, Shainazarov confirmed that remote (electronic) voting has been fully suspended for the 2025 parliamentary elections. The decision, he said, was made to reduce the risk of vote-buying and electoral manipulation. “Electronic voting allows people to vote from home using a smartphone. Technically and legally, we are ready for it, but the risk of vote-buying remains too high; a candidate could pay voters and verify how they voted. That is unacceptable,” he explained. An exception will be made for voters who are physically unable to travel to polling stations due to medical reasons. In such cases, election commission staff will visit voters at home with the necessary equipment, provided a prior request is submitted to the CEC. This year’s elections will also introduce a new voting system: ballots for candidates from different constituencies will be printed directly at polling stations. According to the CEC, this measure is intended to help prevent ballot fraud and enhance transparency.