DUSHANBE, December 1, 2011, Asia-Plus — Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov is presenting Tajikistan at an inauguration ceremony of Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev that is taking place in Bishkek today.
During his stay in the Kyrgyz capital, Oqil Oqilov is reportedly expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with leaders of delegations that are also attending Kyrgyzstan’s presidential inauguration.
Earlier, the source in the Tajik government said that President Emomali Rahmon would attend the Kyrgyzstan’s presidential inauguration.
Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev won the presidential election on October 30. A total of 16 people ran for the country’s top post. Atambayev won a landslide victory even in the first round. He collected slightly over 62 percent of the votes.
His main rivals – leader of United Kyrgyzstan Party Adakhan Madumarov and head of the Ata-Zhurt (Homeland) Party Kamchybek Tashiev gained 14.77 and 14.32 percent, respectively.
A total of 1.85 million out of nearly three million registered voters (61.28 percent) went to the polls.
Mr. Atambayev, 55, is a wealthy businessman from the north of Kyrgyzstan, who promised to bring prosperity and stability to this impoverished Central Asian nation. He had the best-funded campaign and enjoyed significant public exposure by serving as prime minister until last month.
The ceremony of a peaceful transfer of power will be held for the first time in the history of independent Kyrgyzstan. Two previous presidents, Askar Akayev and Kurmanbek Bakiyev, were ousted from their posts as a result of revolutions and both had to flee their country together with their relatives.