Kyrgyzstan Delays Presidential Election till October 2011

Kyrgyzstan 's interim government has announced it is delaying presidential elections until October 2011.

Photo: Kyrgyzstan Delays Presidential Election till October 2011

The decision comes amid a surge in ethnic violence that left two people dead and at least 74 others injured in the southern city of Jalalabad, Aljazeera says.

Meanwhile, Omurbek Tekebaev, deputy head of the interim government, told reporters today that a May 19 decree has made interim leader Roza Otunbaeva acting president until December 31, 2011. He said presidential elections previously announced for October would be held instead in 2011.

"Presidential elections should be held two months before the end of the interim president's term," he said. The interim government is expected shortly to present the draft of a new Kyrgyz constitution, RadioFreeEurope informs.