Kyrgyz opposition party wins parliamentary election

BISHKEK. November 1. KAZINFORM The Kyrgyz Ata-Zhurt opposition party has won the parliamentary election with 8.47% of the vote, the Central Electoral Commission said on Monday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

In all, five parties have made it into parliament, clearing the 5% hurdle.

The pro-government Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, led by first Deputy Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, placed second with 7.83%.

The opposition Ar-Namys party, headed by former Prime Minister Feliks Kulov, came in third with 7.57%.

Respublika, led by businessman Omurbek Babanov, finished fourth with 6.93%.

Ata-Meken is in the fifth position with 5.49% of the vote.

Of the 120 seats in parliament, Ata-Zhurt will get 28, the SDPK 26, Ar-Namys 25, the Republic 23 and Ata-Meken 18.

Parliament will see its powers increase as a part of the constitutional reform approved in June in a national referendum that confirmed Roza Otunbayeva as interim president following the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April.

The October 10 election was the first step to bring a new system of government to Kyrgyzstan with a one-house parliament that will choose a prime minister by a majority vote. The premier will govern the nation, while the president will hold largely a figurehead role with virtually no powers; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

See www.en.rian.ru