Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva has lifted the state of emergency and curfew declared in southern Kyrgyzstan two months ago amid interethnic violence, the Kyrgyz government's spokesman said on Monday.
"The state of emergency in the Osh and Jalalabad regions of the republic has been lifted. The decision comes into effect at midnight on August 9-10," Farid Niyazov said.
Fighting between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks in the city of Osh and surrounding areas killed some 300 people, according to official estimates, with the unofficial death toll topping 2,000.
Otunbayeva will sign a decree setting Kyrgyz parliamentary elections on October 10 on Monday night when the state of emergency in the south of the country is lifted, Niyazov said.
Kyrgyzstan held a referendum on a new constitution in late June.
The majority of voters approved changes to the constitution that reduce the president's powers and make Kyrgyzstan a parliamentary republic. Voters also endorsed interim leader Roza Otunbayeva as president for the transitional period until December 31, 2011.
She will also head the Kyrgyz government until the new Cabinet is appointed following parliamentary elections in October.
The Kyrgyz interim government came to power in April amid large-scale opposition protests that overthrew former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Bakiyev fled the country and has taken refuge in Belarus.
BISHKEK, August 9 (RIA Novosti)
