MOSCOW, July 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Newly elected Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev pledged on Monday to turn his poor nation's fortunes around after his overwhelming victory in Sunday's election.

    

Newly elected Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev pledged on Monday to turn his poor nation's fortunes around after his overwhelming victory in Sunday's election. (Photo: Xinhua)

"This election can be called a convincing victory of the popular revolution," Bakiyev told reporters, hoping that the country would emerge stable, tranquil and good.

    He promised to form a high quality government that will work for the good of the nation, introduce constitutional changes, and battle corruption, which remains a major concern of voters.

    Under the Kyrgyz election law, the president-elect must be sworn in by Aug. 18.

    Ousted Kyrgyz ex-president Askar Akayev has congratulated Bakiyev on his victory which was endorsed by international monitors.

    Akayev, who ruled Kyrgyzstan for nearly 15 years, fled to Russia on March 24 in the wake of violent protests sparked by flawed parliamentary polls.

    Head of the Central Election Commission Tuigunaaly Abdraimov announced on Monday at a press conference that Bakiyev won 88.9 percent of all the ballots cast.

    The latest official figures showed that the turnout in Sunday'spoll hit 74.67 percent.

    With ballots counted in 95 percent of the districts, Bakiyev left the other five challengers far behind, with his closest rivalgaining only around 4 percent of the votes.

    The presidential race in Kyrgyzstan can be called an election without suspense because in the weeks before the vote, Bakiyev secured a deal with his main challenger Felix Kulov, former deputypresident, former security services chief and former acting Bishkek mayor, who agreed to give up the race on condition that hewould be made prime minister.

    Bakiyev, former prime minister under Akayev, became the opposition leader in 2002 after his resignation from the post. He led the protests against Akayev in March.

    Bakiyev, 55, was named acting president and prime minister by the parliament after Akayev fled the country amid protests of opposition supporters who took control of the government building.

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

    After being elected, Bakiyev questioned the presence of a US airbase in Kyrgyzstan, which has been located near Bishkek since 2001 in order to support military operations in Afghanistan.

    "The question of the departure of the American base was raised at the last summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) because the situation in Afghanistan has changed," Bakiyev said athis first post-election news conference on Monday.

    Analysts have predicted that Bakiyev, a southerner, running in tandem with the northerner Kulov, could boost stability in the nation divided by mountain ridges and regional interests. Enditem