PROTESTS WORK

Kyrgyzstan Election Declared Invalid After Angry Crowd Storms Parliament

This weekend’s election was marred by widespread claims of vote-buying on behalf of the country’s pro-Russia president.

This weekend’s election results in Kyrgyzstan have been declared invalid after mass protests over alleged vote-buying led to an angry crowd storming the country’s parliament. Footage filmed Tuesday showed people breaking into the office of the pro-Russia President Sooronbai Jeenbekov and flinging papers from the windows. Opposition supporters seized government buildings, freed the ex-president from prison, and demanded a new election. Hundreds were hurt in the violence and one person died, according to The Guardian. But the protests seemed to have worked after the central election commission of Kyrgyzstan declared the results of the weekend’s parliamentary election invalid, saying the decision was made in order to “avoid tension” in the country. Jeenbekov has accused “certain political forces” of trying to “illegally seize power” from him.