BISHKEK - Kyrgyz President for the interim period RozaOtunbayeva said on Friday that she will step down after the upcoming presidential election."As soon as the presidential election is over, I will hand power over peacefully. I am not clinging to power," she said during a working visit in Osh.

"First of all, power is enormous responsibility and not a means of amassing fortunes as others did," Otunbayeva said.

She added that she would oversee both the presidential and parliamentary elections. "We have too many candidates," the president said. Part of the candidates will drop out because they have to pay a deposit of 100,000 soms (about 4,200 U.S. dollars), to collect 30, 000 signatures and to pass a Kyrgyz language exam.

"Unfortunately, Kyrgyzstan has split not only into north and south but also according to ethnic and other distinctions in the run-up to the presidential polls," Otunbayeva said. However, "we are ready for anything; our law enforcement structures are very well-prepared today". (Xinhua)