Kyrgyz PM confirmed as incoming president: official

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan on Saturday confirmed Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev would take over as president this year after rubber stamping the results from last month's presidential elections.

Atambayev, a moderate who is a close ally of incumbent President Roza Otunbayeva won 62.52 percent of the votes, way ahead of his two nationalist rivals, the head of the election commission Tuigunaly Abdraimov said.

His two opponents -- the one-time parliament speaker Adakhan Madumarov and former boxer Kamchybek Tashiyev -- both polled less than 15 percent in the elections and denounced the vote as a fraud.

But neither so far have mustered significant protests against what would be the first peaceful handover of presidential power in the turbulent post-Soviet history of Kyrgyzstan.

The confirmation of the official results means that the inauguration of Atambayev must now take place by December 20.