People protesting against the results of a parliamentary election stand in front of the government headquarters which has been taken over in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 6, 2020. /Reuters
Kyrgyzstan's chief electoral body said Tuesday it was cancelling the results of a parliamentary vote that plunged the Central Asian country into violent protests and political chaos.
The Central Electoral Commission said in a statement it had "invalidated the election results," which saw parties close to President Sooronbay Jeenbekov score big wins amid accusations of mass vote-buying campaigns.
The decision to cancel the results was made in order to "prevent tension" in the country, the head of the Commission Nurzhan Shaildabekova told the Interfax news agency.
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.
Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev speaks during a visit to Sochi, Russia, September 14, 2017. /Getty Images
Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev was released by protesters from a detention center of the State Committee for National Security on Tuesday, local media and Russia's TASS news agency reported.
Earlier, people protesting against the results of a parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan broke into government and state security headquarters. The protesters then freed Atambayev and a few other former senior officials.
Atambayev, who was Kyrgyzstan's president from 2011 to 2017, was detained in August 2019 and charged with using force against law enforcement agents, organizing mass riots, a murder and an attempted murder, hostage taking, illegal release of a crime boss and other crimes, including corruption. He denied all the charges against him as politically motivated.
The former president, who was serving an 11-year sentence, walked free after talks between the protesters and the administration of the State Committee for National Security, the TASS report said.
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has held talks with all political forces, the president's press secretary Tolgonai Stamalieva said on Tuesday.
"The head of state was at his workplace in the building of the Jogorku Kenesh (the parliament) until 2 a.m. (2000 GMT), conducting individual dialogues with all political forces. The president is counting on the prudence of the organizers of the protest action," said Stamalieva.
Opposition supporters hit the streets of the capital Bishkek the previous evening to demand the resignation of Jeenbekov and a re-run of the election marred by vote-buying accusations. Police used water cannon, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Health authorities said at least 120 people were being treated for injuries, but there were no reports of deaths by late Monday.
Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov casts his ballot at a polling station during the country's parliamentary election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 04, 2020. /Getty Images
The preliminary count showed two pro-presidency parties, Birimdik and Mekenim Kyrgyzstan, who both favor deeper integration with Moscow, together taking around half of the vote. Protesters demanded that the vote results be canceled and the Central Election Commission said on Tuesday it would consider their request, local news website 24.kg reported.
In a statement on his website, Jeenbekov described the actions of protesters who took over government and security headquarters as a bid by some political forces to seize power illegally.
Meanwhile, he urged his opponents to stop the protests and reiterated his readiness to have the election results annulled.
(With input from agencies)