BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — A protégé of Kyrgyzstan’s departing pro-Russia leader looked set for a surprise victory in a presidential election on Sunday, despite polls having predicted a runoff between him and an opposition leader.

Preliminary data published by Kyrgyzstan’s central election commission showed that the candidate, Sooronbai Jeenbekov — a former prime minister and an ally of the current president, Almazbek Atambayev — had secured about 54.2 percent of the vote based on a count from 97 percent of polling stations.

His main opponent, Omurbek Babanov, an oil tycoon, trailed well behind with about 33.5 percent, according to the same early data.

A close ally of Moscow and host to a Russian military base, Kyrgyzstan helps its former Soviet overlord project power across a region where China and the United States also vie for influence.