Kyrgyz Opposition Claims Control; Forming Interim Govt
VOA News 07 April 2010
The political opposition in Kyrgyzstan says it has seized power, after a day of clashes in several cities that killed at least 40 people and wounded more than 400.
Opposition leaders said late Wednesday they were forming a provisional government with former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva as its head. They said the current prime minister, Daniyar Usenov, had agreed to resign, but there has been no confirmation of the opposition's claims.
The exact whereabouts of Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev are not known. Some opposition members say he has left the capital for the southern city of Osh, where he has a strong power base.
Sporadic gunfire continued overnight in the capital, Bishkek. Reuters news agency reports many buildings remain ablaze. Looters also reportedly ransacked a house belonging to Mr. Bakiev's family.
Authorities confirmed 40 deaths, while the opposition says at least 100 people were killed.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Washington "deplores the violence" and urges all parties to respect the rule of law.
The upheaval raises questions about the future of the U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan that supports military operations in Afghanistan. The Pentagon said Wednesday the airfield was closed because of the unrest.
Television pictures from the Central Asian country showed protesters storming government buildings Wednesday and security forces firing at demonstrators. Witnesses saw many dead and wounded on the streets and in hospitals in the capital, Bishkek. Clashes were also reported in other cities.
Tensions have been growing in the mountainous impoverished country of 5 million people over what activists say are the repressive policies of President Bakiyev.
Mr. Bakiyev first took office in 2005 after a similar opposition uprising called the Tulip Revolution. But since then, he has consolidated power, cracking down on the opposition and independent media.
The latest violence started Tuesday in the northwest town of Talas, when opposition members stormed provincial government offices.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
