Nurzhan Shayldabekova, the chair of Kyrgyzstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC), has stepped down from her position voluntarily, the commission’s press service reports.
The 56-year-old official announced her resignation at a CEC meeting on February 10. Shayldabekova had led the commission since 2016, serving under three presidents—Almazbek Atambayev, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, and Sadyr Japarov. Under her leadership, Kyrgyzstan held two presidential and two parliamentary elections, as well as three referendums: one on constitutional amendments in 2016 and two in 2021 on the system of governance and the adoption of a new constitution.
Tynchtyk Shaynazrov, who previously served as the commission’s deputy chair, has been appointed as the new head of the CEC.
Born on February 27, 1974, in the Osh region, Shaynazrov graduated in 1996 from the Faculty of Law at Kyrgyz State University with a degree in jurisprudence. He spent much of his career in the prosecution service and served as the prosecutor of Jalal-Abad. From November 2010 to December 2020, he was a member of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament. He has been with the CEC since 2020.
