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Kyrgyz Opposition Takes State Building, Holds Officials

Bishkek, 15 March 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Opposition protesters in Kyrgyzstan are holding a regional governor and another local official captive today at a government building in the northern Talas District.

The protesters are upset over alleged irregularities during Sunday's runoff parliamentary elections as well as the results of the first round poll on 27 February.

Protesters in Talas won't let the two officials out of the building, demanding that poll results be reviewed in court. Talas police chief Nasreddin Karimberdivev says thousands of protesters are gathered outside the building.

The opposition accuses authorities of rigging the elections, which gave President Askar Akaev a loyal majority in the 75-seat parliament, with opposition candidates winning just a few seats.

Other protest rallies have happened in Jalal-Abad, Osh, Toktogul, Kurshab, Alai, and Bakai-Ata.

(Interfax/dpa/Reuters/AKIpress/AP/RFE-RL's Kyrgyz Service)

Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org