Jeenbekov wins Kyrgyzstan election

Voters in Kyrgyzstan was elected a new president in a historic election. Sooronbai Jeenbekov, a former prime minister backed by incumbent Almazbek Atambayev, won outright, confounding predictions of a tight race. His main rival Omurbek Babanov got just over a third of the vote.

The former Soviet republic, a close ally of Russia, is now on track for its first peaceful power transfer between elected presidents since independence in 1991.

The first two presidents were ousted by riots. Unlike other Central Asian states, which have been run by authoritarian leaders, Kyrgyzstan is a democracy.

Presidents are restricted to a single six-year term under a constitution that has been in force since 2010.

UCJ, UNILORIN.