Kyrgyzstan's President Sooronbai Jeenbekov wearing a face mask casts his ballot paper during the parliamentary election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct 4, 2020. (VLADIMIR VORONIN / AP)
ALMATY - Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bishkek, on Friday as unrest gripped the Central Asian country.
Jeenbekov’s office said in a statement the state of emergency, which includes a curfew and tight security restrictions, would be in effect from 8 pm on Friday until 8 am on Oct. 21.
Jeenbekov signed an order dismissing Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov and his cabinet on Friday, his office said in a statement.
Kyrgyz members of parliament (MPs) have said Boronov tendered his resignation after opposition groups on Tuesday seized government buildings in response to protests over a disputed parliamentary election which has since been annulled.
Earlier on Friday, Jeenbekov said he was ready to resign once a new cabinet was appointed to end the power vacuum in the Central Asian nation.
After forcing the cabinet to resign and the election commission to annul the results of Sunday's parliamentary election that triggered the protests, opposition groups have so far failed to agree on who would lead a provisional government
While his offer, made in a statement, could facilitate the transfer of power later, it may do little to resolve the political impasse, which prompted regional power Russia to describe Kyrgyzstan's situation as chaos.
After forcing the cabinet to resign and the election commission to annul the results of Sunday's parliamentary election that triggered the protests, opposition groups have so far failed to agree on who would lead a provisional government.
ALSO READ: Kyrgyzstan annuls parliamentary election results amid protests
They appeared to make the first step towards consolidating on Friday. Two rival candidates for the premiership, Omurbek Babanov and Tilek Toktogaziyev, said they would work together, with the latter becoming a deputy prime minister, and were backed by four parties, local news website 24.kz reported.
The third candidate, Sadyr Zhaparov, backed by the Ata Zhurt party, had yet to comment on their move, and the positions of the remaining six parties that had denounced the election remained unclear.
Babanov said Jeenbekov, the president, could avoid impeachment - which would leave him vulnerable to subsequent prosecution - if he quit after signing off on a new cabinet line-up.
Parliamentary deputy Maksat Sabirov told Russia's Interfax news agency that the legislature, which has the exclusive power to appoint a new cabinet, would try to convene on Friday, and that a number of parties planned rallies in the capital Bishkek.
The parliament's previous attempts to gather a quorum have failed as some deputies said they feared for their safety.
Two political parties close to Jeenbekov swept Sunday's parliamentary vote, but at least 11 other parties refused to accept the results and Western observers said the election was marred by credible evidence of vote-buying.
READ MORE: Kyrgyzstan at impasse as firms warn of economic damage
The nation of 6.5 million hosts a Russian military air base and a large Canadian-owned mining operation. Despite the state of uncertainty, with no legitimate leadership, veteran officials appeared to be in control of its security forces.
The State National Security Committee said on Friday neighboring Uzbekistan had handed over to it three people who illegally crossed the border on Oct 6, when the previous government fell.
One of them was district mayor Tilek Matraimov, a member of the influential Matraimov family, which also includes his brothers Raimbek Matraimov, a former deputy head of customs, and Iskender Matraimov, a member of parliament.
Iskender Matraimov sought reelection on the ticket of Mekenim Kyrgyzstan, one of the parties that dominated the now-annulled election.
The state security committee said Tilek Matraimov and the two other men handed over by the Uzbek side were held while being investigated for illegal border-crossing.
