Krygyzstan holds historic election as it votes for new president

Krygyzstan has held a historic election as it voted for a new president.

The former Soviet republic is believed to have held free and fair elections and it not yet clear who the most likely winner is.

The majority Muslim country will be hoping for its first peaceful transition of power after the previous leaders were removed following riots.

Almost three million Kyrgyz will cast their votes for more than 12 candidates with no one expected to win a majority.

Sooronbai Jeenbekov is considered one of the most likely winners and is backed by the outgoing leader, Almazbek Atambayev, who has reached the end of a six-year term.

Mr Jeenbekov is a former Prime Minister, much like Omurbek Babanov, another one of the frontrunners.

The two main contenders for the role are believed to want to hold close ties with Russia, who has been a close ally of the country since it gained independence in 1991.

If no candidate manages to get more than 50 per cent of the vote, there will be a run-off.

The victor will be limited to a single six-year term, which has been a part of the constitution since 2010.