Kyrgyz nationalist party promises to evict US base

A nationalist party that came out on top in Kyrgyzstan's landmark parliamentary elections said Wednesday it would push to evict a key US air base from its territory once Parliament is formed.

Akhmatbek Keldybekov, a leader of the Ata-Zhurt Party that shocked observers by garnering the most votes in Sunday's poll, promised to give the boot to the US Transit Center at Manas, a vital conduit for troops and fuel to Afghanistan.

The fate of the US Transit Center at Manas, opened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, has long been a subject of speculation even though it did not figure prominently in the elections.

Former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was ousted in a coup in April, vowed to close the base last year before allowing it to stay open after receiving a significant increase in rent from Washington.

Russia has long bristled at the presence of the base in a country that it sees as part of its geopolitical backyard. Bakiyev's announcement that he would close the base came after Moscow offered billions of dollars in loans and aid to Bishkek.

Also Wednesday, the five political parties that won seats in the parliamentary elections agreed to a vote recount, after concerns about irregularities and protests from losing-party supporters.

None of the successful parties won more than 9 percent of the vote, and a three-party coalition would be need to command a majority of the 120 seats.

The recount could admit a sixth party to the stage.

Agencies