Igor Kovalenko / EPA

A family watch the inauguration of Kyrgyzstan's President-elect Almazbek Atambayev on TV at their home in the village of Shalta, Kyrgyzstan, on Dec. 1, 2011.

Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP - Getty Images

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, right, and outgoing President Roza Otunbayeva, left, during the former's inauguration ceremony in Bishkek on Dec. 1, 2011.

The Associated Press reports from BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan:

Kyrgyzstan inaugurated a new president Thursday in the first peaceful transition of power in the former Soviet Central Asian nation.

Speaking after his swearing-in, Almazbek Atambayev sounded a note of ethnic harmony and called on all political camps to unite to assure Kyrgyzstan's future prosperity.

Authorities hope the inauguration will usher in an era of stability. The first two presidents to lead the country after independence in 1991 were overthrown in public uprisings.

Outgoing President Roza Otunbayeva, who wrested power from Bakiyev, earned international plaudits for agreeing to relinquish power. Read the full story.

Previously on PhotoBlog: Voters in Kyrgyzstan cast presidential ballots