Combined with the old parliament resigning, this piece of good news certainly lends the last bit of credibility the new interim government needs. Akayev has finally resigned.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan’s deposed president Askar Akayev tendered his resignation Sunday at his country’s embassy in Moscow in the presence of members of the Central Asian state’s parliament.

Akayev fled into exile in Russia last week after ruling his impoverished country for 14 years. Many Kyrgyz see his formal resignation as key to ensuring full legitimacy for new elections provisionally scheduled for June.

Akayev signed documents on four points, he said.

“One of these is that the president of the Kyrgyz Republic announces his early resignation,” Akayev said at a brief news conference. “It has been decided to hold the actual ceremony of early resignation tomorrow.”

International mediators had pressured acting leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev to allow Akayev to return to Kyrgyzstan and play a role in negotiating a political settlement after he was ousted in protests prompted by flawed parliamentary elections.

But Bakiyev declined Akayev’s requests to return, saying the new government would not be able to guarantee the ex-president’s security.

Parliamentary Speaker Omurbek Tekebayev said Saturday that Akayev had indicated he would be prepared to sign the resignation papers, a step which is required by law in order for new elections to be held.

Tekebayev led the delegation which arrived in Moscow on Sunday and negotiated Akayev’s signature.

If I remember correctly, the new elections for both parliament and president are set for June 26. So far an obvious candidate is interim president Bakiyev, while another prominent opposition name and security coordinator Felix Kulov has decided to run.

Kyrgyz security forces coordinator Felix Kulov, a prominent name in the opposition party which overturned the Kyrgyz administration, has declared his candidacy in the presidential elections to be held in June.

In a press briefing, Kulov said he will be a candidate for presidency provided that the overthrown leader Askar Akiyev is tried for accusations against his regime in the High Court.

Kulov, who was detained for “abusing his authority” and embezzling money in 2000 and sentenced by 10 years, was released from jail on March 24 by the protestors.

After the overturn of the Kyrgyz administration, Kulov was placed in charge of the security forces. He declared last Friday, that the extraordinary events in the country had successfully been completed.

The benchmark for a successful democratic revolution is whether or not the country can hold free, fair, and transparent elections afterward. Regardless of who wins, this is what we need to be looking for.