Kyrgyzstan president fires ministers, consolidates power ahead of election

Once seen as a hope for democracy and openness in the otherwise highly authoritarian region of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has been marked by political instability and three revolutions in the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Japarov consolidated power and marginalised opponents after coming to power after the latest revolt in 2020, and is gearing up for a presidential election next year in which he is the overwhelming front-runner. On Monday he removed his transport, environment and emergency situations ministers...