BISHKEK — Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov is ready to resign in a bid to end post-vote chaos enveloping the Central Asian country, he said in an address published Friday on his website.
A disputed parliamentary vote has sparked a fresh crisis in the volatile nation, triggering protests and unrest that have left at least one dead and hundreds injured.
Jeenbekov said he could step down once a date for fresh elections had been set and changes in government had been confirmed by parliament and his office.
"After legitimate executive authorities are approved and we are back on the path of lawfulness, I am ready to leave the post of President of the Kyrgyz Republic," he said.
The statement comes just hours after Jeenbekov's office said the president's resignation was not "under question" in talks with political leaders after clashes following protests led by parties who lost out in a disputed parliamentary vote.
But it was not immediately clear whether it would be possible to fulfil the conditions set by Jeenbekov.
Several political forces planned fresh demonstrations on Friday and fears grew over potential clashes between supporters of various groups.
Jeenbekov said law enforcement should ensure that lawmakers, whose building is not under state control, are able to hold a session.
Jeenbekov added that he wanted to "legitimise appointments" after several politicians claimed leadership positions in the country.
As of Friday, self-styled opposition candidates claimed to control the state prosecutor's office, the national security committee and the interior ministry.
A populist politician has positioned himself as prime minister after he was released from jail by supporters following the violence on Monday.
If Jeenbekov were to resign, he would become the third Kyrgyz leader felled by political unrest after uprisings unseated authoritarian presidents in 2005 and 2010. — AFP, October 9, 2020
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