Live Updates: Sadyr Japarov Replaces Kubatbek Boronov as Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan

Vigilantes have begun guarding shopping malls and other important buildings in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek from looters as widespread public unrest continues following parliamentary elections in the Central Asian country, a member of the vigilante group told the 24.kg news portal on Tuesday.

"We have several Telegram channels and group chats, which we use to organize and alter our work. We are keeping order in the city. Today, we went to guard the OTRK [Public Kyrgyz broadcaster], large shopping centres… as well as the printing house Uchkun, which houses Channel Five and the Pyramid media group", Alexander Skidanov told the portal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres closely follows the protests in Kyrgyzstan and urges all actors to show the utmost restraint and avoid violence, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The Secretary-General is closely monitoring the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic”, Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General regrets the loss of life and urges all involved to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from violence".

Guterres has also called on all Kyrgyz actors to engage in dialogue and agree on a settlement within the constitutional framework, Dujarric said.

The United Nations is ready to assist toward a peaceful resolution of the crisis, including through its Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the spokesman added.

The current parliament of Kyrgyzstan will perform its duties until a new one is elected, Former Prime Minister Temir Sariyev, a member of the coordination council of 13 parties formed amid the political turmoil in the country, said.

"We are all on the same page that this assembly should work until a new Jogorku Kenesh is elected, otherwise we will plunge into a legal vacuum," Sariyev said, according to the 24.kg news agency.

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov has resigned amid large-scale protests in the country and was replaced by Sadyr Japarov, the country's parliament said on Tuesday.

According to the Kabar news agency, Boronov's statement was read by lawmaker Mirlan Bakirov at an extraordinary session of the parliament, which is being held in the Dostuk hotel.

Opposition politician Sadyr Japarov, who was released from prison on Monday, has become the new prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the republic's parliament told Sputnik.

UPDATE | Exclusive shots taken by the chief editor of @SputnikNewsKGZ of the scenes from within the "White House" of #Kyrgyzstan after it was seized by protesters #SputnikUpdates https://t.co/kyvKjm4Vwy pic.twitter.com/XGPeNsC38M

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) October 6, 2020

The European Union is urging the political authorities in Kyrgyzstan to act peacefully and within the country's constitution amid the widespread public unrest following Sunday's parliamentary elections that have subsequently been annulled by the Central Election Commission, the bloc's foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement.

"The EU calls on all political forces in the country to act within the framework of the constitution and to settle their disagreements peacefully. We look forward to new credible, transparent and inclusive elections, in line with Kyrgyzstan’s international commitments and the democratic rights of its citizens, being organized," the published statement read.

The bloc will continue to support democratic and developmental processes in Kyrgyzstan, Stano added.

Unknown persons seized Kyrgyzaltyn's only gold refinery in Kara-Balt, local news agency 24.kg reported, citing the company.

Several dozen people entered the territory of the enterprise in the afternoon. It is not known what demands were made and the supporters of which party these people represent, the agency said.

Now, Kyrgyzaltyn has no communication with the refinery, it said.

The company confirmed the reports.

Earlier in the day, unknown people were trying to break into the building of Kyrgyzaltyn, the country's largest gold miner.

Kyrgyz pro-government political party Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (My Homeland Kyrgyzstan) that secured the second place in the parliamentary elections approves the decision to annul the results of the vote, the head of the party, Mirlan Bakirov, said on Tuesday.

"Today, the Central Election Commission annulled the results of the elections, and we agree with this decision," Bakirov told reporters.

According to Bakirov, Mekenim Kyrgyzstan noted "pressure and violations" during the vote.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed hope on Tuesday that the crisis in Kyrgyzstan would be settled peacefully and called on all the political forces in the country to act responsibly.

"Russia is interested in the domestic political stability in Kyrgyzstan, which is its strategic partner and ally, in safety and well-being of the friendly people ... We hope that the crisis will be soon resolved in compliance with the law, through negotiations, without use of force," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Moscow noted that Kyrgyzstan's democratic development should be a priority.

"We are calling on all the political forces to act wisely and responsibly in this critical moment for the sake of maintaining domestic stability and safety," the Russian Foreign Ministry added.

The Kyrgyz Central Election Commission (CEC) should set repeat parliamentary elections within two weeks, the official news agency Kabar reported on Tuesday, citing CEC Deputy Chairman Abdyzhapar Bekmatov.

Bekmatov told Kabar that the CEC would be obligated to hold the elections within 60 days after a relevant announcement.

The Kyrgyz opposition coordination council could urge President Sooronbay Jeenbekov to resign amid protests against the results of the parliamentary elections, 24.kg news agency reported on Tuesday.

According to the news agency, Kyrgyz politicians are looking into two possible ways to stabilize the political situation: the coordination council does not rule out a call on Jeenbekov to step down, and the parliament could make a decision, at its upcoming special session, to impeach the Kyrgyz leader.

The number of people injured in Kyrgyzstan in the clashes between protesters and law enforcement agents has grown to 686, and the death toll stands at one, the Health Ministry told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"As of 15:00 [09:00 GMT], 686 injured people sought assistance in medical centers on October 6, 2020," a spokesperson for the ministry said.

According to the spokesman, 164 injured people were hospitalized, seven of them are in the intensive care units, a 19-year-old man died, and 521 persons were discharged after receiving urgent assistance.

The Kyrgyz parliament will convene later on Tuesday for an emergency session amid protests against the results of the parliamentary elections, press secretary Ibrahim Nurakun uulu said.

"Today, the parliament will convene for a special session at 16:00 [10:00 GMT], at Dostuk hotel," the press secretary wrote on Twitter.

Leaders of the Kyrgyz opposition forces are calling on the parliament to convene for appointing a new composition of the cabinet, an opposition politician, Adahan Madumarov, said on Tuesday.

"We have a parliament, and it is legitimate, whether we want it or not. So we are calling on it to convene and appoint a new composition of the government," Madumarov said at a press conference, held amid protests.

The opposition politician stressed the importance of legitimization.

"It is not proper to just seize offices or appoint someone. We should act in compliance with the law," Madumarov stressed.

A group of Kyrgyz politicians has announced that a coordination council, aimed at "restoring the legal framework" in the country, has been established, Kyrgyzstan's 24.kg news agency reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariyev confirmed this information to 24.kg and said that the coordination council would make a statement at a press conference in Bishkek.

Sariyev and another ex-prime minister, Omurbek Babanov, are reportedly among the members of the council.

As many as 190 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, the National Center for the Prevention of Torture told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"Total of 190 police officers were injured in the unrest in Bishkek. Six of them are in grave condition," a spokesman for the center said.

According to the spokesman, four special vehicles were burnt down, and six special vehicles were smashed up by protesters.

Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, who was freed from custody by protesters earlier on Tuesday, will make a statement later in the day, his ally from the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan told Sputnik.

"Almazbek Sharshenovich will deliver an address today, at 14:00 [08:00 GMT]. Then, Sapar [Isakov, ex-prime minister] will take the floor," Atambayev's ally said.

Protesters in Kyrgyzstan freed from a detention facility in Bishkek ex-head of the presidential administration, Farid Niyazov, who is suspected of staging mass riots, a witness told Sputnik on Tuesday.

According to a Sputnik correspondent, former Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev was also freed.

"Farid Niyazov was freed from the first detention facility in Bishkek today," the witness said.

According to him, Kanat Sagynbaev, a bodyguard of ex-Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, was freed as well.

Niyazov and Sagynbayev are suspected of staging the mass riots that emerged in August 2019 in the village of Koy Tash. Back then, one special forces officer was killed and 136 people were injured in clashes between Atambayev's supporters and the law enforcement agencies.

Protesters in Kyrgyzstan are set to appoint an interim prime minister, the leader of opposition political party Mekenchil said on Tuesday.

"We plan to appoint an interim prime minister," Kamchybek Tashiev told reporters.

According to Tashiev, opposition politician Sadyr Japarov, who was earlier freed from prison by protesters, is a possible candidate. Japarov was serving his term for taking a person hostage during the 2013 unrest.

The building of the government of Kyrgyzstan has been seized by protesters, a representative of the Cabinet told Sputnik.

"We cannot get to work. There are some unknown people in the building, they’re not letting us inside", the official says.

According to him, most likely these are protesters.

As the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers added, he did not see any signs of looting or vandalism in the government building.

Protesters against preliminary results of the parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan seized the city hall in Bishkek, Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg reported, citing city mayor Aziz Surakmatov.

One person died as a result of the mass protests in Bishkek, while 590 people were injured, with 13 in serious condition, the Kyrgyz Health Ministry said.

BISHKEK (Sputnik) - Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov admitted that the results of the country's parliamentary elections could be canceled, spokeswoman Tolgonay Stamaliyeva told Sputnik.

"Taking into account the current situation, the head of state recommends that the Central Election Commission carefully study the materials related to violations, up to the annulment of the results of parliamentary elections," Stamaliyeva said.

According to the spokeswoman, Jeenbekov is in Bishkek, "controls the situation and expresses confidence that all political forces will put the interests of the country above their own, will not allow a split in society and other fears that worry the country's citizens."

BISHKEK (Sputnik) - Protesters in Bishkek have freed ex-Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov from prison, his lawyer Zamir Zhooshev told Sputnik.

Earlier, protesters freed former President Almazbek Atambayev.

"Sapar Isakov was released today. He is at large," Zhooshev said.

Isakov led the cabinet under Atambayev. In December 2019, Isakov was sentenced to 15 years for corruption during the modernization of the Kyrgyz capital's heat and power plant. In June, the ex-prime minister was sentenced to another prison term - for corruption during the reconstruction of a history museum in Bishkek and the construction of a hippodrome in the city of Cholpon-Ata.

"The President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai Jeenbekov is in Bishkek. The head of state at his workplace in the building of the Jogorku Kenesh [Parliament]. Until 2 a.m., he held individual dialogues with all political forces. The President counts on the prudence of the organizers of the protest action", President's press secretary Tolgonai Stamalieva told Sputnik.

The protesters demanded release of former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev, who is currently held in custody in the building of the State Committee for National Security, a Sputnik correspondent said.