Voters in Kyrgyzstan supported handing greater powers to the presidency in a referendum on Sunday, confirming public trust in the populist head of state Sadyr Japarov, although the turnout was low.
The constitutional reform will bring the political system of the Central Asian nation closer to that of its ex-Soviet neighbours, such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, making it easier for Japarov to push through his policies.
Japarov and his supporters also hope a strengthened presidency will make the country more stable after violent revolts toppled its leaders in 2005, 2010 and in 2020, when Japarov was catapulted from a prison cell and into office.
