Presidential elections held in Kyrgyzstan

Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations on Sunday to cast their ballots in a presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region, the Associated Press reports.

Three main contenders are vying for victory in the vote, which pits front-runner Almazbek Atambayev against two popular nationalist politicians — Kamchibek Tashiyev and Adakhan Madumarov.

Outgoing President Roza Otunbayeva, a seasoned diplomat who served as ambassador in Washington and London and has been running the country as interim leader since 2010, will step down later this year to make way for the election winner. That sets the stage for the first peaceful transition of power in the economically struggling ex-Soviet nation’s history.

If nobody garners more than 50 percent of ballots in the election, a runoff will have to be held within a month between the two top vote-getters.

Atambayev, who had the best-funded campaign and enjoyed significant public exposure by serving as prime minister until last month, said he hoped everything would be settled within one round.