At a meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh, President Sadyr Japarov raised the issue of insufficient voter activity in the recent elections.
According to him, despite the presence of open processes, the implementation of electronic voting, and the possibility of remote participation, voter activity remained at a low level.
“Although 200,000 more people came to vote in this election than last time, we were counting on a 70% turnout. Unfortunately, we did not achieve this,” Japarov pointed out.
He also noted that low turnout creates a problem where predominantly those willing to sell their votes participate, while the majority of citizens remain on the sidelines. In this regard, the president proposed to consider the possibility of mandatory participation in elections or the development of an appropriate law.
Japarov cited examples from foreign practice: in Turkey, mandatory participation norms have lost relevance over time, while in Singapore they continue to be in effect—citizens are required to participate in elections, otherwise they lose their voting rights in the next elections. He emphasized the importance of taking successful international experience into account and adapting it to the peculiarities of Kyrgyz society.
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