Kyrgyz PM claims presidential powers as Jeenbekov quits

Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister Sadyr Japarov has assumed presidential powers after President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and Parliament speaker Kanatbek Isayev resigned on the same day.

"The powers of the president and the prime minister have been transferred to me," Sadyr Japarov told cheering supporters on Thursday, citing Jeenbekov's resignation and the parliament speaker's refusal to become acting president.

"I congratulate you on victory. Today everything fell into place," he told supporters. 

Under the Central Asian nation's constitution, Japarov must now oversee a presidential election within three months in which he himself cannot run.

Earlier on Thursday, Jeenbekov resigned, saying he wanted to prevent clashes between security forces and protesters demanding his removal from office.

Jeenbekov's allies had dominated the October 4 parliamentary election, but subsequent protests toppled the government and forced the authorities to annul it.

Moves to end impasse

Populist politician Japarov was confirmed as head of government on Wednesday, as Kyrgyzstan sought a path out of 10 days of crisis following an annulled election.

Japarov was serving an 11-and-a-half year sentence for organising a governor's kidnapping in 2013. He has denied the involvement.

Jeenbekov had faced the gravest challenge of his three years in office after violence erupted in the wake of disputed elections that were later annulled.

But signs were growing on Wednesday that politicians were taking steps to end the impasse in the ex-Soviet country on China's western border.

Japarov made several unsuccessful attempts to secure the prime minister's post since unrest over the parliamentary election.

He was finally confirmed by both the parliament and Jeenbekov following an extraordinary session on Wednesday.

Political volatility

But many of his supporters, who have massed in the city, have argued that the headstrong nationalist should instead be made president.

Kyrgyzstan has been dogged by political volatility for much of its three decades of independence.

A landlocked republic of 6.5 million people, it has seen two presidents overthrown by street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

READ MORE: Kyrgyzstan's Zhaparov nominated again as premier in repeat parliament vote

Russia concerned

The unrest has worried its ally Russia, coming as post-election protests rock ex-Soviet Belarus and clashes persist over the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's deputy chief of staff Dmitry Kozak flew in for talks with Jeenbekov and Japarov this week, in a move that had appeared to strengthen the position of the pro-Moscow president.

The Russian embassy said on Tuesday the "key role of the head of state" in ensuring Kyrgyzstan's future development was emphasised during Kozak's visit.

More than 1,200 people were injured and one killed during the subsequent clashes between protesters and police, leaving Kyrgyzstan teetering on the brink of chaos.

Jeenbekov imposed a state of emergency on Friday but, although protests were temporarily banned, that did not prevent Japarov's supporters from gathering.

READ MORE: Kyrgyzstan extends state of emergency amid violent protests