Profile: Kurmanbek Bakiyev, president-elect of Kyrgyzstan

    BISHKEK, July 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Kyrgyzstan's acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has been elected new president of the central Asian country, the central election commission said Monday.

    

Acting President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev has won an overwhelming victory in Kyrgyzstan's presidential elections, the Central Elections Commission figures showed Monday. (Photo: Xinhua)

Speaking at a press conference, commission head Tuigunaaly Abdraimov said "Kurmanbek Bakiyev has won the first place with 88.9 percent of all the ballots cast."

    With ballots counted in 95 percent of the districts, Bakiyev enjoyed a strong lead over five challengers, with his closest rival gaining only around four percent of the votes.

    Turnout in Sunday's polls stood at around 74.6 percent, according to the central election commission.

    Bakiyev, 55, former prime minister under ousted President AskarAkayev, joined the opposition and then played a leading role in the protests.

    He was named acting president and prime minister by the parliament after Akayev fled the country amid protests of opposition supporters who took the government building on March 24.

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

    "The unique thing about this election is that, for the first time in recent years, elections really means elections in the fullmeaning," the election winner said Sunday after casting his ballotin the capital.

    The central Asian country has been volatile since the unrests in March, and Bakiyev's cabinet acknowledged last month it was notin full control after a crowd seized and briefly held the government headquarters.

    The Sunday polls in Kyrgyzstan was closely watched by the West.The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe had some 300 monitors overseeing the election. Enditem