File photo taken on March 27, 2017 shows Chynybai Tursunbekov, the speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament, speaking at the parliament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament has resigned to preserve stability in the country, the press service of the parliament quoted the speaker as saying on Oct. 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Roman Gainanov)
BISHKEK, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament has resigned to preserve stability in the country, the press service of the parliament quoted the speaker as saying on Wednesday.
"I am resigning. My decision is not connected with political conjuncture," said Chynybai Tursunbekov at a parliamentary session, adding that he made the move to reduce tensions amid the presidential elections.
It is reported that Tursunbekov, one of the leaders of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, had announced he would run for president. However, the party's governing body supported Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the former prime minister, who won more than 54 percent of the vote in the elections held on Oct. 15 and is to become Kyrgyzstan's fifth president.
"Kyrgyzstan held presidential elections, which will result in a peaceful transfer of power," Tursunbekov said.
Meanwhile, he said a series of achievements were made within the framework of the 2020 Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Parliament during his one and a half years in office.
Tursunbekov, 57, was elected to the parliament in 2010 and became the speaker of the parliament in April 2016 when Asylbek Jeenbekov left the post after his brother, Sooronbai, was confirmed prime minister of the country.
