Acting Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev casts his ballot at a polling station, during presidential elections in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, June 10, 2005.  (Xinhua photo)

(Xinhua photo)

    BISHKEK, July 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan kicked off voting on Sunday morning to elect a new president to succeed ousted leader Askar Akayev.

    Some 2,000 polling stations were opened across the country at about 7 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), witnessing an active participation of voters.

    Acting president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who has been leading the country since the March 24 uprising that drove out Akayev, is seen as the strong favorite among the six candidates.

    Other contenders include industrialist and populist Akbaraly Aitikeyev; Jypar Jeksheyev, leader of the Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan; Senator Tursunbai Bakir Uulu; Keneshbek Dushebayev, a former interior minister under Akayev, as well as Toktayim Umetaliyeva, leader of the coalition of non-governmental organizations.

    After casting his vote at polling station No. 1157 in the capital, Bakiyev told reporters that Sunday is a special day for Kyrgyzstan, which is witnessing "its most democratic presidential election" since independence.

    He said the Central Electoral Committee and related government departments had made adequate preparations for the election.

    During the whole presidential campaign, he added, the candidates conducted their campaign in a free and fair atmosphere, none of them came under any threats and their campaigning activities were lawful.

    "No one was pressed or told how to vote," he told reporters. "Iwant to stress once again that the elections will be honest and transparent, in strict conformity with the standards set by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)."

    Bakiyev thanked the international society for its support for the election, especially the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Collective Security Committee and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    The CIS Collective Security Committee, the OSCE, and the SCO as well as other international organizations and commissions in the country sent 947 observers to oversee the election, which is also being covered by more than 270 reporters from all over the world.

    On April 11, Kyrgyzstan's parliament accepted the resignation statement of former leader Akayev and set the election date as on July 10.

    According to Kyrgyzstan's election law, the candidate who garners over 50 percent of the votes will win the election, and if none of the candidates manages to gain 50 percent of the votes, a run-off will be held in two weeks.

    The country's eligible voters number 2.69 million. Judging fromthe voters' enthusiastic participation in the morning, the voter turnout is expected to exceed 50 percent, which is necessary to make the poll valid.

    The voting ends at 9 p.m.(1500 GMT) on Sunday and preliminary results are expected to be released on Monday. The president is elected for a five-year term. Enditem