BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission has registered the only female applicant bidding to compete in July's presidential election, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
Toktaiym Umetalieva, the 49-year-old chairwoman of the Association of Nongovernmental and Nonprofit Organizations, was the country's first-ever female candidate for president when she ran against eventual winner Kurmanbek Bakiev in 2005.
The news comes on the final day of registration for presidential aspirants, with five candidates now registered including: Umetalieva, incumbent Bakiev, leading opposition figure and former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev, physician Nazar Aliev, and Tamir Sariev.
One outstanding application remains from an original 18, with a decision expected by the end of the day.
The presidential campaign officially kicks off on June 18, and election day is July 23.