| 24 July 2009 |
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| Kyrgyz election officials dump ballots onto a table to begin the vote count at a polling station in Bishkek, 23 Jul 2009 |
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, says Thursday's election was marred by ballot-box stuffing, voter list inaccuracies and evidence of multiple voting. It also accused President Bakijev of using government resources to ensure his victory.
The preliminary report by Europe's top security organization may bolster claims by the main opposition candidate, former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, who says the election was a sham.
Before the polls closed Thursday, Mr. Atambayev said the election was rigged and called for a rerun. Another presidential candidate, Zhenishbek Nazaraliyev, also quit while the voting was under way.
Kyrgyzstan's elections commission said Friday that Mr. Bakijev led the race by 86 percent, with about two-thirds of the ballots counted.
The commission insists the results are valid.
The United States has a strong interest in the central Asian country, which hosts a U.S. air base that supplies American and NATO troops in nearby Afghanistan.
Russia has recently given Kyrgyzstan about $2 billion in aid in what analysts say is an attempt to wield influence in Kyrgyzstan.
President Bakiyev took power in 2005 after violent street protests forced his predecessor, Askar Akayev, to resign.
