| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Sooronbai Jeenbekov set to win Kyrgyz presidential poll |
| 2017-10-16 |
| [Al Jazeera] Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the chosen candidate of Kyrgyzstan's outgoing President Almazbek Atambayev, looked set for a surprise first-round victory in the country's elections, according to preliminary results. The central election commission said Jeenbekov had secured 54.22 percent of Sunday's presidential vote based on a count from 97 percent of the polling stations. His main opponent, oil tycoon Omurbek Babanov, trailed well behind with 33.47 percent, according to the same early data. Polls had predicted a close runoff between Jeenbekov, a protege of Atambayev promising continuity, and Babanov, a youthful oligarch pledging to kick start a chronically impoverished economy. Both men served as prime ministers under Atambayev, who steps down after six years in power.The Kyrgyzstan constitution allows the president to serve only one six-year term. |
| Posted by:Fred |