BISHKEK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday accused neighboring Kazakhstan of taking sides in the upcoming Kyrgyz presidential elections.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan summoned Rymtai Karibzhanov, charge d'affaires of Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan, and handed over an official protest note.
In the note, Kyrgyzstan accused the neighbor of interfering in its internal affairs and elections to be held on Oct. 15.
A meeting between Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Kyrgyz presidential candidate Omurbek Babanov, leader of the opposition Respublika-Ata Zhurt, was made public on Wednesday at the website of the Kazakh president.
In the note, Kyrgyzstan expressed bewilderment about the meeting between Nazarbayev and Babanov and the Kazakh leader's expression of support for the candidate.
"Despite the fact that the leader of friendly Kazakhstan said that he does not interfere in the internal affairs of Kyrgyzstan, his words clearly reflect the preference of the Kazakh side regarding the future president of the Kyrgyz Republic," the note said.
"Thus, the Kyrgyz side assesses these statements, as well as broad coverage by the Kazakh media of this meeting as an attempt to influence the choice of the people of Kyrgyzstan and interference in the internal affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic," the note said.
According to the Kyrgyz constitution, the country's president is elected for a six-year term and one person can hold the high office only once. The current president's term ends on Dec. 1.
