[JURIST] As anticipated [JURIST report], former Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev [official profile] signed resignation papers Monday in Russia, removing himself from the highest office in the recently troubled Central Asian republic. Akayev, accompanied by long-time political opponent and current Parliament Speaker Omurbek Tekebayev [BBC profile], signed the requisite legal documents papers in the Kyrgyz Embassy in Moscow. He fled Kyrgyzstan [DC Embassy website] following protests that erupted in response to allegations of his manipulating parliamentary elections, originally going to Kazakhstan and then to Russia, where it is expected he will remain. His resignation takes effect Tuesday, clearing the last legal hurdle for the nation to hold the new national elections promised by Interim President Kurmanbek Bakiyev [BBC profile], tentatively scheduled for June 26. Electionworld.org has a backgrounder on Kyrgyzstan. AP has more.