BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) —The president of Kyrgyzstan asked parliament on Thursday to urgently review a recent reshuffle of the Central Asian nation's top election body to prevent it from derailing the country's next national vote.
President Roza Otunbayeva said that lawmakers’ decision last month to reject two of her four nominees to the 12-member Central Elections Commission breaches the election law.
Otunbayeva said uncertainty over the commission’s legitimacy could spark legal complaints after an October election that is to replace her.
Kyrgyzstan, which hosts a U.S. air base, has been roiled by unrest since the former president was unseated in a popular uprising in April.
The powers of the presidency have been watered down since, but political campaigning for the post is nonetheless expected to be fierce.
Otunbayeva said in a letter to parliament that the lawmakers’ rejection of her nominees "threatens to incite endless lawsuits and ultimately call into question the results of presidential elections."
Recent elections in Kyrgyzstan sparked street protests, and concerns persist that perceived irregularities in October’s vote could trigger disturbances, especially if the election commission is viewed as illegitimate.
