Sadyr Japarov believes this is the only way the country can hold fair elections
Sadyr Japarov, the acting president of Kyrgyzstan, suggested that the country’s Central Election Commission could harness blockchain technology to streamline the electoral process. Japarov said he believes only this modern technology can pave the way for fair presidential and parliamentary elections.
“We have experienced three revolutions because of unfair elections. As long as this continues, unrest and revolutions will persist. From now on everything will be fair. I consulted with the Central Election Commission and proposed introducing blockchain technology,” Japarov said.
The newly appointed president and prime minister had until recently served an eleven-year prison sentence related to an alleged abduction of a government official. Japarov has consistently maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated and unjust.
Japarov believes that if plans proceed smoothly, blockchain technology could be launched within three to six months. He explained that he is convinced blockchain can help the country combat vote-buying and the political unrest that follows fraudulent elections in Kyrgyzstan.
The landlocked republic of roughly 6.5 million people has experienced intense political turmoil during its three decades of independence. Earlier this month the capital, Bishkek, witnessed mass protests against vote-buying in parliamentary elections. Violent clashes between protesters and police during those demonstrations left at least one person dead and more than 1,000 injured.
Japarov has also been accused of intimidating former president Sooronbai Jeenbekov; Japarov responded by saying that “only those involved in corruption” would be afraid of him.
Jeenbekov resigned on Thursday, October 15, after a series of violent demonstrations erupted over parliamentary election results. Japarov, who was released from prison during the protests and later appointed prime minister in an attempt to calm the unrest, has since declared himself the leader of the Central Asian nation.
Although the country already uses modern election technologies—such as fingerprint scanning and electronic scanners linked to a central server—fraudulent practices persist, including during this month’s votes.
Sierra Leone, in West Africa, is the first country to hold elections using a blockchain-based voting system. Russia has also expressed intent to pilot a blockchain voting project.