Pro-government candidate Sooronbai Jeenbekov appeared to score a majority in ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan's presidential election Sunday, defying predictions of a second round and raising fears over instability in the Central Asian country.

Data on the Central Election Commission website showed Jeenbekov scoring over 54 percent of the vote, with oligarch opponent Omurbek Babanov taking more than a third of the ballots. 

"According to preliminary data, Jeenbekov is leading," CEC head Nurzhan Shayldabekova said at a briefing in the capital Bishkek. 

Source: AFP