Kyrgyz Appoint New Acting Prime Minister

New acting Prime Minister Aaly Karashev (file photo)

Deputy Prime Minister Aaly Karashev has been appointed Kyrgyzstan's acting prime minister to serve as parties try to find a way out of a government crisis brought on by economic woes and corruption scandals.

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev signed the appointment decree on September 1.

The moves come after Kyrgyzstan's previous acting prime minister, Omurbek Babanov, resigned earlier in the day.

Babanov's spokesman, Sultan Kanazarov said that "he asked to resign because the formation of a new coalition has practically been decided."

Media reported that Babanov's own party appeared to be frozen out of a new ruling coalition.

Kyrgyzstan's former coalition government collapsed on August 22 after two of its four members withdrew in protest against a shrinking economy and corruption allegations against Babanov.

The prime minister, who had continued in an acting capacity since, has denied all accusations of impropriety.

With additional reporting by ITAR-TASS and Reuters