Candidates' withdrawal from race in Kyrgyzstan illegal - CEC.

BISHKEK, July 23 (Itar-Tass) - The actions of presidential candidates
who announced their intention to withdraw from the race are illegal, a
member of the central election commission (CEC), Omurbek Sarbagyshev, told
Itar-Tass on Thursday.

He stressed that candidates could withdraw from the election no later
than three calendar days before the beginning of the voting.
"Currently, we've received no such applications. Three days are given
to have an opportunity to cross out from the ballot papers the names of
those who decided to withdraw from the race," Sarbagyshev said.
Eight hours after the voting began in Kyrgyzstan the candidate from
the United Opposition, Almazbek Atambayev, and self-nominated candidate
Zhenishbek Nazaraliyev announced their withdrawal describing the election
as illegitimate over mass violations during the ballot casting.
The central election commission received a complaint of violations
from Atambayev and offered him to provide more concrete information about
the places and character of violations of the election legislature.
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