VARIOUS: Fresh violence challenges new Kyrgyz government/Ousted president leaves Kazakhstan for unknown destination

Record ID: 1534812

  • Title: VARIOUS: Fresh violence challenges new Kyrgyz government/Ousted president leaves Kazakhstan for unknown destination
  • Date: 20th April 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KAZAKHSTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY'S SPOKESMAN, ASKHAT ABDRAKHMANOV, SAYING: "Minister Bakiyev has left the territory of Kazakhstan by now. I don't have any information concerning his whereabouts." PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROCESS
  • Embargoed: 5th May 2010 11:28
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2C12XWD0RK55GT0OXAVPW1H0
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Kyrgyzstan's interim rulers faced renewed resistance and lawlessness on Monday (April 19) after pledging fresh elections and reforms to restore order in the volatile Central Asian state.
    Around 1000 people from the outskirts gathered in the capital Bishkek to demand the new authorities to grant them land, challenging the interim leaders to exert control over the Central Asian state after an uprising on april 7 ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
    "Within a short period of time we want to create a proper political system and to hold elections as soon as possible and to have a new legislative. We think the country should be a parliamentary republic where the people would always be able to elect those who they prefer as deputies or as president, and where the elected representatives would be responsible and accountable to the electorate," said acting mayor of the capital Bishkek, Issa Omurkulov.
    Later in the evening more ethnic violence broke out on the outskirts of Bishkek, leaving at least one person dead and injuring eleven.
    In the south, Bakiyev's tribal stronghold, more than 2000 supporters gathered in the central square of the city of Jalalabad to demand his return to power.
    The protesters were holding banners reading "Bakiyev with the people", and the "Opposition seized power through bloodshed". They demanded to set free Bakyt Kaliyev, former Defence Minister, and to lift accusations of provoking bloodshed from president Bakiyev's brother Zhanybek Bakiyev.
    "It was all arranged before-hand, first of all remember how long people were sitting here to support Bakiyev, at least one month. People were waiting and everything was peaceful and they (the opposition in Bishkek) seized everything in six hours, and how much blood was shed? All those killed were young people. Why didn't (opposition leader Roza) Otunbayeva die, why wasn't Kikebayev (one of the opposition leaders hurt)? Why were they just staying behind, why did they put forward the young ones?," said protester Azada Kulmatova.
    Some of the protesters were distributing leaflets disclaiming Bakiyev's resignation. The protesters in the city were joined by some locals ron horseback who chanted: "Bakiyev is our president".
    In Osh, an old city on the former Silk Road in the south, about 1000 police officers held a rally, demanding the resignation of the new Interior Minister Bolot Sherniyazov and the release of the convicted and detained police officers.
    They said the new authorities had ignored the fact that many policemen had been killed during the April 7 uprising in Bishkek and demanded compensations for the relatives of those policemen who had suffered during the unrest. They also demanded social benefits to be reintroduced for policemen.
    The Acting Osh Region Governor Sooronbai Jeyenbekov and Osh Mayor Melis Marzaakmatov came to the meeting to calm down the protesters.
    As tempers rose, First Deputy Governor Kushbek Tezekbayev, accused of maintaining ties with criminal circles, was beaten up by the angry crowd.
    Meanwhile in neighbouring Kazakhstan the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said Bakiyev had left the country for an unknown destination.
    "Minister Bakiyev has left the territory of Kazakhstan by now. I don't have any information concerning his whereabouts," said Ashkat Abdrakhmanov, of the Kazkh'ss Foreign Ministry.
    Persistent turmoil in Kyrgyzstan is a worry for the United States, which operates a crucial military base supporting operations in nearby Afghanistan.
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