President of Kyrgyzstan stepping down following mass protests

Protesters react waving Kyrgyz national flags (Vladimir Voronin/AP)

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbai Jeenbekov announced his resignation in a bid to end the turmoil that has engulfed the Central Asian nation after a disputed parliamentary election.

In a statement released by his office, Mr Jeenbekov, who has faced calls to step down from protesters and political opponents, said holding on to power was not “worth the integrity of our country and agreement in society”.