Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariev has announced that he will run for president in the next election, scheduled for the autumn.

The announcement was made during Sariev’s Ak Shumkar political party conference on February 4.

Sariev, 53, served as prime minister from May 2015 through April 2016, when he resigned after several parliament members accused his cabinet of corruption.

Kyrgyzstan is the only country in Central Asia in which the president is limited to a single term.

Incumbent Almazbek Atambaev has said publicly that he would not seek political office, including the post of the prime minister, after his presidential term ends.

In December, Kyrgyzstan held a constitutional referendum, which approved 26 amendments, including changes shifting key powers from the president to the prime minister.

The move has been criticized by Atambaev’s opponents, who suspect it is designed to pave the way for him to stay in power after his seven-year term ends following the election.

With reporting by 24.kg