Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has announced his resignation in a bid to end the turmoil that has engulfed the Central Asian nation after a disputed parliamentary election.
In a statement released by his office, Jeenbekov, who has faced calls to step down from protesters and political opponents, said that holding on to power wasn’t “worth the integrity of our country and agreement in society”.
“For me, peace in Kyrgyzstan, the country’s integrity, the unity of our people, and calm in the society are above all else,” Jeenbekov said.
Kyrgyzstan, a country of 6.5 million people located on the border with China, was plunged into chaos following an October 4 vote that election officials say was swept by pro-government parties. The opposition said the election was tainted by vote-buying and other irregularities.