BISHKEK, January 11. /TASS/. Sadyr Japarov, Kyrgyz politician who is currently on course to win a landslide victory in the presidential elections, has said that Russia is the main strategic partner for his country.

"Russia is our main strategic partner. We lived together for 70 years in the [Soviet] Union, and have been and remain strategic partner in the last 30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union," he told a briefing in Bishkek Sunday. According to him, he intends to complete economic and political reforms in Kyrgyzstan before June 1, 2021.

"We will carry out political and economic reforms before June 1," he continued. In particular, changes are expected to take place in the government structure and the makeup of the national parliament.

Speaking about the outcome of the snap presidential elections on January 10, Japarov noted that he was hoping for 60-65% of the votes. "I did not expect to get so many ballots. I thought it would be around 60-65%," he said. The election frontrunner also underlined that it is impossible to falsify the election results in Kyrgyzstan, therefore, he believes them to be reflecting the real situation.

According to the preliminary election results, Japarov wins the presidency in a landslide in the first round. Simultaneously, Kyrgyz citizens headed to voting stations to vote in a referendum on the system of government. Around 80% of voters backed presidential republic compared to the current system combining presidential and parliamentary elements. The voter turnout stands at around 40%