Kyrgyzstan swears in new president Jeenbekov
Kyrgyzstan’s new president Sooronbai Jeenbekov was inaugurated Friday in a ceremony marking the first peaceful transfer of power between elected leaders in the Central Asian country.
Jeenbekov, 59, a close ally of outgoing Almazbek Atambayev, swore to protect the “unity of the country” as he accepted the national flag and donned a breastplate signifying the presidency.
The boom of artillery fire marking the power transfer was audible across Bishkek, the capital of the majority-Muslim country of six million.
The former Soviet country saw its first two presidents overthrown in revolts in 2005 and 2010, with ethnic violence leaving hundreds dead after the second revolt.
Under Atambayev, who was constitutionally restricted to a single six-year-term in office, the country enjoyed a period of relative stability, albeit without real reforms.
Jeenbekov scored 54 percent of the October 15 ballot viewed as Kyrgyzstan’s most competitive election since independence, with oligarch opponent Omurbek Babanov taking more than a third of votes cast.
But monitors said the vote was marred by evidence of voter intimidation tactics and other forms of administrative leverage that appeared to benefit Jeenbekov’s campaign.
Kyrgyz authorities earlier this month pressed ahead with a criminal case against Babanov over remarks he made in a neighborhood inhabited by an ethnic minority during a bitter electoral campaign.
The 47-year-old former oil trader, who, like Jeenbekov, served as a prime minister during Atambayev’s tenure, resigned his position as head of the parliament's second largest party earlier this month.
Atambayev steered a strongly pro-Russian foreign policy course after his own election in 2011 that analysts say is unlikely to change under Jeenbekov.
In 2014, the country cancelled the lease on a US based used for operations in Afghanistan.
The country however hosts a Russian military base and has leaned heavily on China for loans and investments.
(Source: AFP)
Starbucks closes 50 stores in Malaysia amid anti-Israel boycott drive
Iran, Azerbaijan top brass underline military, defense cooperation
New Zealand: Maori MPs protest in parliament with Haka war dance
Lindsey Graham threatens to sanction US allies backing ICC arrest warrants
VIDEO | Tens of thousands of Catalans protest to demand access to better housing
Israel launches air strikes on Syria-Lebanon border crossing
Russia: Comprehensive deal with Iran will include defense, security ties
VIDEO | Israeli embassy shooting in Jordan leaves gunman dead, 3 police injured
VIDEO | Paris march in support of Palestine women
VIDEO | ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, ousted regime war minister
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
