Kyrgyz President-Elect Resumes Duties As Premier, Inauguration Set For December 1

Kyrgyzstan's President-elect Almazbek Atambaev

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President-elect Almazbek Atambaev has resumed the duties of prime minister, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Members of the Kyrgyz cabinet told RFE/RL that Atambaev returned to his duties of prime minister on November 14 because the official results of the presidential election were announced on November 12.

Atambaev's press secretary, Kadyr Toktogulov, told RFE/RL on November 10 that "in accordance with Kyrgyz law, Atambaev will return to the post of prime minister immediately after the final results of the presidential election are officially announced by the Central Election Commission, and will occupy that post until he is officially inaugurated as Kyrgyzstan's new president."

Atambaev temporarily stepped down as prime minister in September when the election campaign began, as required by law.

Meanhwhile, in related news, it has been announced that Atambaev will be inaugurated on December 1.

Kyrgyzstan's outgoing President Roza Otunbaeva signed the relevant decree on November 15.

Presidential chief of staff Emilbek Kaptagaev has been named to head the commission that will organize the inauguration.

Atambaev was elected in the October 30 election with 63 percent of the vote. The next two nearest rivals each finished with about 14 percent of the vote.

Read more in Kyrgyz here and here