Bakyt Torobayev

Torobayev was born on 5 April 1973 in the city of Jalal-Abad, which is located in the south-west of Kyrgyzstan (was then the Kirgiz SSR). His father was named Ergesh.

Torobayev graduated from the economics faculty of the Kyrgyz State National University in 1999, with a degree in finance and credit.

Torobayev started work in 1995 as a director of "Zhamlia i K", a Kazakhstan-based production and commercial company; he specialised in the sale of petroleum products and the construction of filling stations. From 2000 to 2007, he worked as the general director of "Mariam", a flour factory.

Political career

Torobayev entered the Supreme Council after the 2007 parliamentary election, as a member of Kurmanbek Bakiyev's Ak Zhol party. From 15 December 2009 to 2010 he was the Minister of Emergency Situations, which includes the period of the 2010 Kyrgyz revolution. After the overthrow of Bakiyev, Torobayev joined the Respublika Party of Kyrgyzstan, led by Omurbek Babanov. However, Torobayev and Babanov frequently clashed in the party, which led to Torobayev leaving Respublika and founding Onuguu-Progress. The party first stood candidates in the 2015 parliamentary election.

In 2016 Torobayev stood as a candidate for speaker of the Supreme Council, along with Kanat Isayev of the Kyrgyzstan Party. Both failed to receive the required 61 votes to become speaker, with Isayev and Torobayev receiving 51 votes each.

Leader of Onuguu–Progress

Onuguu–Progress was founded by Torobayev in early 2012, with its first congress being held on 1st February 2012. It won 13 of the 120 seats in the 2015 parliamentary election, coming fourth.

Presidential campaign

On 10 February 2017, Torobayev confirmed that he was running in the 2017 presidential elections. He is currently one of four confirmed candidates.

Although the Central Election Commission has noted that Torobayev is standing under the Onuguu Progress name, it had been previously announced on 8 August that the party was merging with two other parties, Mekenim-Kyrgyzstan and Ata-Jurt, to create a new party, the name of which has not yet been announced. Torobayev stated on 4 September that a conference will be held on 11 September to formally announce the presidential candidate of the new party, named as "Kaira Zharaluy". The merger failed, as Kamchybek Tashiyev decided to support the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan for the elections.

Torobayev is married, and is the father of five children. He has two brothers, Askarali, who works as deputy chairman for the State Service for Combating Economic Crimes, and Batyr, who heads the association of millers at the Union of Entrepreneurs of the Republic.