Kyrgyzstan's parliament names Japarov PM in repeat vote

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan's parliament named nationalist politician Sadyr Japarov prime minister in a repeat vote on Wednesday, a step towards ending a political crisis in the Central Asian nation, which is closely allied with Russia. A senior Kremlin official visited the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek in an apparent attempt to help local leaders end the impasse in the former Soviet republic, which is home to a Russian military air base and a large Canadian-owned gold mining operation.

Parliament had to vote on Japarov's appointment for a second time after President Sooronbai Jeenbekov vetoed its previous decision on Oct. 10 because of proxy voting by some legislators.

Japarov's supporters freed him from prison last week amid unrest after a parliamentary election in which official results showed a landslide victory for Jeenbekov's allies. The result was annulled after protesters seized government buildings on Oct. 6. Japarov had been serving a lengthy sentence on charges of taking a senior public servant hostage during a protest in 2013. Last week a court reviewed his case and annulled the verdict.

Japarov now needs Jeenbekov to ratify to parliamentary vote in order to become prime minister. Jeenbekov has said he is ready to resign once a new cabinet is legitimately appointed. Kyrgyzstan's 6.5 million people are currently under a state of emergency, but a few hundred Japarov supporters demonstrated in central Bishkek, defying a ban on rallies, to demand that the president resign and parliament dissolve itself.