Aimen Kasenov. Photo from the website of Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission
Kyrgyzstan's Central Commission for Elections and Referendums has received an application from the first candidate for the country's presidency. It was submitted by Aimen Kasenov, who intends to run as a self-nominated candidate, the commission said.
The application was filed on October 14. Earlier the same day, commission chairman Tynchtyk Shainazarov told 24.kg that the commission had not yet received a single application from anyone wishing to run for president.
Kasenov, 52, is a native of Bishkek who has experience in the oil and gas sector and in government bodies. From 2007 to 2015, he served as CEO of Gazpromneft-Kazakhstan. In 2015–2016, he worked as an adviser to the mayor of Bishkek, and from 2016 to 2018 he sat on the board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund.
This is not Kasenov's first attempt to run for president. In 2021, he ran for the country's highest office and received 0.91% of the vote.
In comments to the BBC, Kasenov confirmed his intention to take part in the campaign and said his election platform is called «Zher, suu, amanat» («Land, Water, Trust»).
«I have something to say. The program is ready. I can't disclose the rest now — that would be campaigning,» he said.
Kyrgyzstan's presidential election is scheduled for January 27, 2027. The candidate nomination period began on September 25 and will end on November 13, 2026. Politicians Omurbek Suvanaliev and Syimyk Zhapykeev have previously announced their intention to run, but according to the commission, Kasenov is the first to file an official application.
Under the country's law, a presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, speak the state language and have lived in the country for a total of at least 15 years. To register, a candidate must collect at least 30,000 voter signatures and pay an election deposit of 1 million soms ($11,400). The money goes to the state budget and is not returned to the candidate, whether he wins or drops out of the race.
