Nationalists lead Kyrgyz vote after 95 percent count

Nationalists lead Kyrgyz vote after 95 percent count

2010-10-11 23:36:32 GMT+7 (ICT)

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Preliminary results in Kyrgyzstan elections have the Ata-jurt party leading the country's votes for a new parliamentary, based on 95 percent of the precincts counted, local media reported on Monday.

With strong support among ethnic Kyrgyz in the south, Ata-jurt, which is led by former government officials who were ousted six months ago, is leading the results with 8.69 percent, while the Social-Democratic Party is second with 8.13 percent of the vote.

Overall, just five parties passed the 5-percent threshold for representation in the 120-seat parliament, signaling complications in forming a coalition government that would have to bring three of the five together. Final results are expected to be released before the weekend.

Sunday’s poll will transform the country into the first parliamentary republic in central Asia, ending two decades of authoritarian presidential rule.

Morten Hoglund, the head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s short term observer mission praised the country's parliamentary elections, saying the "political diversity and pluralism, transparent medium" in the elections are a "positive message for entire Central Asia."

Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the former president, was ousted in a violent uprising in April, resulting in more than 400 deaths during ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Bakiyev’s homelands in south Kyrgyzstan in June.

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