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Head Of Kyrgyz Constitutional Courst Says PM Resigned

24 March 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The chairwomen of Kyrgyzstan's Constitutional Court, Cholpon Bayekova, has said Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev has resigned.

Speaking on National Television, Bayekova said the Coordination Council of the Kyrgyzstan People Unity, involving all opposition blocs, will be regarded as a provisional government.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan's supreme court issued a verdict annulling results of the controversial parliamentary elections.

The parliamentary mandate is therefore returned to the outgoing parliament, which has started an emergency session tonight.

Weeks of anti-government protests over the disputed elections culminated today as protesters stormed and occupied the presidential compound in the capital Bishkek.

Prominent Oppositionist Released

Protesters also seized control of state television and radio and freed a prominent opposition figure, Feliks Kulov, from prison.

Opposition supporters demand President Askar Akaev's resignation.

Opposition figure Kurmanbek Bakiev said on National Television today that Akaev has left the country and that Prime Minister Tanaev has resigned.

"The president of the [Kyrgyz] Republic, Askar Akaev, has left the country. He is no longer on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. The head of the government, Nikolai Tanaev, has resigned. We are in a complicated, I would say critical, situation now," Bakiev said.

But Bakiev did not say where Akaev went.

(with agency reports)

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