Sixty-three people submitted documents to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kyrgyzstan to participate in early presidential elections, the CEC press center said on Sunday, according to 24.kg

The deadline for submitting documents to the CEC was November 14.The commission received documents from 65 people, while two of them withdrew the application.  Among the applicants, there are eight women and 55 men, the CEC said.

To be approved as candidates, all the applicants need to collect 30,000 signatures of voters in their support and pay electoral deposit of about 12,000 U.S. dollars to the account of the CEC.  They also need to pass the test of the Kyrgyz language.

Candidates can drop their bids for the presidency until Jan. 7.

The election campaign will begin on December 15, 2020 and end on January 9, 2021.  Voting will begin on January 10, 2021.

Early elections will be held in Kyrgyzstan due to the fact that ex-President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigned amid protests to annul the results of the October 4 parliamentary elections.