Two dismissed Kyrgyz officials to run for parliament

Prominent Kyrgyz politicians Roza Otunbayeva and Azimbek Beknazarov, colored revolution leaders, who have recently lost their official posts, have been nominated as parliamentary candidates by the Kyrgyzstan political coalition of nine parties that opposed ex-President Askar Akayev.

Otunbayeva will run in Bishkek's Tunduk district and Beknazarov in the Aksy district of the southern Jalal-Abad region, the movement's headquarters told Interfax.

During the February-March elections Beknazarov was elected to parliament from the same district, but gave up his mandate after his appointment as prosecutor general. Beknazarov was dismissed from his post by the president in late September.

Otunbayeva was acting Foreign Minister until late September, when the parliament did not confirm her nomination for foreign minister. By-elections in the Tunduk and Aksy districts are due to take place on November 27, the Interfax reports.

A.M.