15 Oct 2020 11:07

Kyrgyz President Jeenbekov tenders his resignation

BISHKEK. Oct 15 (Interfax) - Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has tendered his resignation.

"The president has signed the resignation statement," the presidential press service said on Thursday.

Jeenbekov explained his resignation with the wish to prevent bloodshed.

"I do not hold onto power and do not want to go down in Kyrgyzstan's history as the president who spilled blood and fired at his own citizens. So, I have decided to resign," the presidential press service quoted Jeenbekov's statement on Thursday.

Jeenbekov described the sociopolitical situation in Bishkek as tense. "Yesterday Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) approved the government composition and I signed relevant orders [...] but tensions persisted nonetheless. Regretfully, the aggression is not over yet, and demands of my immediate resignation are still being made. The situation is on the brink of a two-party conflict," he said.

"I view peace in Kyrgyzstan, the integrity of the country, the unity of our people, and social tranquility as the highest priority. There is nothing more valuable to me than the life of every fellow citizen. I am asking [new Prime Minister Sadyr] Japarov and other politicians to move their supporters out of the capital and to restore peaceful life in Bishkek," Jeenbekov said.

Japarov and his supporters demanded the president's resignation.

The first calls for resignation were made in the beginning of last week when political parties expressed their discontent with parliamentary election results. Leaders of the three protesting parties, Chon Kazat (Great Crusade), Respublika, and Yyman Nuru (Ray of Faith), were included in the new government.

Following Sooronbai Jeenbekov's resignation, the parliament speaker will become the country's acting president in accordance with the Constitution, parliamentarian Dastan Bekeshev told Interfax on Thursday.

Kyrgyzstan is due to hold a presidential election within three months since the resignation of Sooronbai Jeenbekov, Kyrgyz Central Elections Commission (CEC) member Atyr Abdrakhmatova said.

"Following the resignation of President [Jeenbekov], the CEC will schedule a new election, which is due to take place within a three-month period," Abdrakhmatova told Interfax on Thursday.