Kyrgyzstan's parliament on Friday approved President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's nomination of an opposition leader as new prime minister, said reports from Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

The parliament voted 48-3 in favour of Almaz Atambayev, reports said.

Bakiyev told the parliament that he presented Atambayev as a choice for the next prime minister was to meet opposition demands.

The opposition groups have been acccusing Bakiyev of corruption and cronyism and threatened to stage demonstrations next month if their demands for liberal constitutional reforms and the formation of a coalition government are not met.

Since President Askar Akayev was ousted by protestors in March 2005, Kyrgyzstan has been plunged into political turmoil. The former Prime Minister Azim Isabekov was forced to resign Thursday amid surging oppositional pressure in recent weeks.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2007)