Kyrghyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigns following weeks of unrest

BISHKEK: Following weeks of unrest that resulted from a disputed election, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov on Thursday resigned, saying that he made the decision in order to restore stability in the country. In a statement, the Jeenbekov said: "I do not want to go down in Kyrgyzstan's history as a President who shed blood and shot at his own citizens.

"The military and security forces will be obliged to use their weapons to protect the state residence. "Blood will be inevitably shed. I urge both sides not to fall for provocations."

The President also called on newly-appointed Prime Minister SadyrJaparov and other opposition politicians to "take their supporters away" from the capital Bishkek in order to restore peace in the city, the BBC reported.

Jeenbekov is the fifth President of the Central Asian country, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. He came to power on November 24, 2017. Kyrgyzstan has been gripped by unrest sparked by allegations of vote buying and impropriety in the October 4 parliamentary elections, in which 16 political parties participated, Xinhua news agency.

Preliminary results showed that four parties crossed the 7 per cent threshold to enter Parliament. Some parties which failed to meet the threshold organized nationwide protests the next day, demanding the annulment of the elections and claiming gross violations. (IANS)

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