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| - Kyrgyzstan's president on Wednesday gave his blessing to populist Sadyr Japarov as prime minister, with the Central Asian state seeking a path out of 10 days of crisis following an annulled election. Sooronbay Jeenbekov, facing the gravest challenge of his three years in office after violence that erupted after in the wake of disputed elections, had initially sent the appointment of Japarov back to parliament. But signs were growing that politicians were taking steps to end the impasse in the ex-Soviet country on China's western border, which has been dogged by political volatility for much of its three decades of independence. Japarov, who was freed from jail by supporters amid chaotic scenes last week, had made several unsuccessful attempts to secure the post since unrest over the parliamentary election. But on Wednesday, more than 80 lawmakers from the 120-member legislature attended an extraordinary session and parliament voted to confirm Japarov and his proposed cabinet. Jeenbekov then signed a decree confirming the naming of Japarov as premier as well as his cabinet, the presidency said in a statement. Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked republic of 6.5 million people, has had two presidents overthrown by street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The unrest has worried its ally Russia, coming as post-election protests rock ex-Soviet neighbour Belarus and clashes persist over the breakaway 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 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. Jeenbekov said last week he was "ready to resign" over the latest crisis, which was sparked by allegations that parties supportive of him had benefited from vote-buying in the election. The results were annulled but more than 1,200 were injured and one killed during clashes between protesters and police. Japarov, a headstrong nationalist associated with chaotic rallies, was serving jail time for hostage-taking at the time of his surprise release last week. His supporters have since flooded into the city from the provinces, sometimes clashing with supporters of rival groups. The confirmation of a presidential ally as the new parliamentary speaker also hinted a compromise had been reached among powerbrokers. But a crowd of Japarov supporters protested in central Bishkek against the speaker's appointment as the role makes him second in line to the presidency. However, the crowd was smaller than one that rallied in Japarov's support last week. Kyrgyzstan has a reputation for being ex-Soviet Central Asia's most democratic country, but it is also the most volatile. On Friday, shots were fired at the car of former president Almazbek Atambayev, who like Japarov was released from jail during the mayhem after the results of the October 4 vote were announced. The clash, which occurred after supporters of Japarov and those belonging to an opposition bloc came together, led to fears of a new escalation in the struggle for power. While Japarov has emerged as a key player in the post-vote chaos, Atambayev, a bitter rival of Jeenbekov, has been returned to jail, where he was serving a sentence for his role in the illegal release of a crime boss. Two of Atambayev's key allies, a former prime minister and an ex-mayor of Bishkek, remain at large after they were released on the same night. bur-cr/sjw/jxb
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