Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 30, 2002
New PM Appointed in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted on Thursday to appoint Nikolai Tanayev as prime minister, a week after the Central Asian state's government resigned amid a severe political crisis last Wednesday.
Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted on Thursday to appoint Nikolai Tanayev as prime minister, a week after the Central Asian state's government resigned amid a severe political crisis last Wednesday.
Tanayev, proposed by President Askar Akayev after consultations with major factions, was elected by 36 votes in the lower chamber with five votes against him. The lower house has the final word under Kyrgyz law.
Tanayev, 57, was first deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who resigned last Wednesday after a special commission found senior officials responsible for civilian deaths in clashes with police in March. Tanayev presided over this commission.
Five civilians died and dozens were wounded in bloody clashes with police in the south of the impoverished mountainous country when thousands protested in March at the arrest of their deputy in the national parliament, Azimbek Beknazarov.
Despite the government's resignation, the country's small but vocal opposition has vowed to press ahead with protests until all those guilty have been punished and Beknazarov fully cleared of his criminal conviction.