Svobodna Dnevnik

[Hadash]

El Correo Internacional

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Akhadist candidate wins state elections in eastern Kyrzbekistan
By: Milena Brovina
Published: Zechyr 26, 1582


Domika Kongoli was reelected as Governor of the state of Kombash-Kenlyukya

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The second round of Kyrzbekistan elections was held yesterday, which decided the Governors of the states of Kombash-Kenlyukya, Uzekyak, and Yartushia.

The first round had been held on late Alvan, and resulted in a nationwide victory of the ruling Socialist People's Party, which received 42.9% of the vote, mostly the same percent that it received in the national elections six month before. However, the Socialist People's Party only obtained a large enough majority in the state of Uzekyak (central Kyrzbekistan), where candidate Zophar Toktamishur, former Commissar of Cultural Affairs, obtained 52,8% and therefore avoided the need of a runoff.

The center-left Kyrzbek Labour Party, currently member of the coalition in the federal government, was the second most voted political party again, despite obtaining their worst result in their history. The Akhadist Kyrzbek National Party had as well a disappointing result outside the eastern state, while the Democratic Social Forum -a coalition of Arberian center-left political parties- improved the last year result in almost three points, even displacing the Kyrzbek National Party as the third most voted force nationwide (although the Arberian coalition obtained more than 77% of their votes in the state of Kombash-Kenlyukya).

The Socialist People's Party proved to be only nationwide competitive political force once again, with their candidates facing in the runoff candidates of the Arberian Democratic Social Forum, the Kyrzbek Labour Party, and the Kyrzbek National Party, respectively, in the other three federal states.

The Conservative Reform Coalition, a moderate Akhadist coalition, although obtained a similar result than six months ago, failed to pass the 5% threshold in the states of Kombash-Kenlyukya and Uzekyak, while the Communist Party improved more than two points nationwide although failed to enter in the eastern Kyrzbekistani state assembly - which in the 1578 elections had been their main stronghold of the recently created Perovist-inspired party.

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In the western state of Kombash-Kenlyukya, former Minister of Education and incumbent Governor Dominka Kongoli obtained a narrow victory in the runoff, being reelected by 51.1% of the vote, while her rival Gjon Siliqi, of the Arberian Democratic Social Forum, who obtained 48.9%. In the first round, Siliqi defeated Kongoli 40.8% vs. 39.2%, but the support of the Communist Party voters (which obtained on Alvan 9.7% of the vote and 10 of 101 seats in the state assembly).

It was a bitter result for the Arberian coalition, which however seems to start winning over most of the ethnic Arberian voters of the western state, despite a more moderate platform on self-government compared to the Arberian National Movement, which saw their activities suspended after the 1575 constitutional crisis, and which leadership had called to boycott the federal elections of 1578 and 1582.  On the other hand, the result is likely to strengthen the position of Governor Kongoli, probably the most influencial female politician in the country after President Aygöl Zamambekuz.

In the northern state of Tembyak, traditionally one of the Socialist People's Party strongholds, incumbent Governor Almas Sangur defeated the Kyrzbek Labour Party candidate Timer Ilgezur. The elections in the northern state had a very low turnout, as both the Socialist People's Party and the Kyrzbek Labour Party are under a joint coalition in the federal government. However, many political commentators had predicted that these state elections may have a negative effect on the relations of both secular parties, as the Socialist People's Party defeated the Kyrzbek Labour Party candidates in both the states of Uzekyak and Tembyak.

In the eastern state of Yartushia, the Akhadist Kyrzbek National Party Elbrus Almasur defeated Socialist People's Party candidate Lenar Anvarur who had been Governor since 1577. Elbrus Almasur obtained 53.9% of the vote, while Anvarur could only obtain 46.1%. In the first round, Anvarur had been the most voted candidate with 30.8%, while Almasur obtained 30.7% and less than 10,000 votes behid. The support of the Conservative Reform Coalition, which officially endorse Almasur against the left-wing Governor proved decisive, and Almasur became the biggest electoral victory of an Akhadist politician since the proclamation of the Democratic Repubic of Kyrzbekistan in 1568.

Almasur run in an ultra-conservative platform "inspired by Setgvek and Zokuk law", but he declared yesterday that he is confident that his victory will "be remembered as the beginning of an Akhadic awakening in Kyrzbekistan". He had to rely in the support of the Conservative Reform Coalition, a more moderate Akhadic coalition, as after the Alvan state elections both the Kyrzbek National Party and the Socialist People's Party had the same number of seats in the state assembly. Both Akhadic political parties combined have 61% of the seats in the state assembly, while the Arberian Democratic Social Forum has a minor and rather symbolic number of deputies. Despite that large conservative majority, it is unclear if Almasur would be pragmatic enough to avoid direct confrontation with both the federal government and the Constitutional Court, which members as either secular or left-wing.

Almasur victory may be a challenge for his own Kyrzbek National Party as well, as his success could cast a shadow over the leadership of the party leader, Ilgus Irekur.  On Alvan, Almasur and the KNP party-list obtained the triple than the party nationwide average, and yesterday he obtained just in his state more voted that his party obtained on Alvan in all states combined. However, experts agree that intraparty rivalry is rare in the Kyrzbek National Party, which has experienced few changes in leadership since its creation in 1572. The Akhadic Kyrzbek National Party is openly supported by the Akhadic Society, the largest non-governmental Akhadist organization in the world.