Kyrgyzstan has scrapped plans for elections in October and decreed that its interim leader, Roza Otunbayeva, remain as president until December 2011. The move comes as a state of emergency is declared in the south of the country.

The interim administration said in a statement that a majority within the government had approved the measure, meaning that only parliamentary elections would now take place in October.

As acting president, Otunbayeva will not be allowed to run in the 2011 polls, the government statement added. Kyrgyzstan will hold a referendum on the decree on June 27.

Otunbayeva was installed as de facto leader following the ouster of former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev six weeks ago in a bloody coup that saw at least 100 killed in clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters.

The government decree came as a state of emergency was declared in the south of the country after at least two people were killed and around 60 injured in continuing unrest.

"To ensure the security of citizens, the quickest possible normalization of the situation and a return to public order, the decision has been taken to establish a state of emergency from today to June 1," the government said in a statement.

The move establishes a 6 p.m. curfew in the southern city of Jalalabad and the neighboring Suzak district.

dfm/dpa/AFP/Reuters

Editor: Martin Kuebler