Kyrgyzstan's 20 candidates to run for presidency

BISHKEK, September 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Kyrgyzstan finalised on Saturday
registration of presidential candidates.
The republic's Central Elections Commission reports that 20 candidates
passed the registration procedure.
"There were 83 nominated candidates," the source said. "But only 20 of
them managed to collect 30,000 signatures, to make a deposit of 100,000
soms /about 2,200 dollars/ and to pass an examination in the state
language."
"They formed in time election funds, which may not exceed 50 million
soms /1.1 million dollars/. Some candidates revoked their applications for
political reasons. For example, leader of the Ata-Meken Party Omurbek
Tekebayev /former deputy prime minister and former speaker of the
parliament/ who claimed he did not want to repeat mistakes of the previous
parliamentary elections, where reforming forces pulled votes from each
other and finally lost to the opposition."
Kyrgyzstan's current President Roza Otunbayeva does not have a legal
right to participate as a candidate in the presidential election due on
October 30. From Sunday, September 25, Kyrgyzstan allows agitation
activities.