The Hindu : International : Poll triggers riots in Kyrgyzstan

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Tuesday, Mar 22, 2005

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International

Poll triggers riots in Kyrgyzstan

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, MARCH 21. Opposition supporters have seized government buildings in two major towns in Kyrgyzstan, protesting against alleged massive fraud in this month's parliamentary poll.

On Monday, thousands of protesters stormed the offices of the local administration, police and security service in Kyrgyzstan's second largest city of Osh in the south of the Central Asian state, demanding the resignation of the President, Askar Akayev, whom they accused of rigging the parliamentary election on February 27 and March 13.

Thousands of people rallied in another major city in the south, Jalal-Abad, after retaking the Governor's building on Sunday from police who had ousted protesters a day earlier.

Clashes

Protesters dumped tons of stones on the runway at Osh and Jalal-Abad airports, to prevent the Government from bringing in troop reinforcements from the capital Bishkek about 300 km to the north. Several people injured in clashes with police, but earlier reports of casualties were denied both by authorities and the Opposition.

An Interior Ministry spokesman admitted that the Opposition also was occupying government buildings in four other towns in the mountainous Central Asian nation of 5 million people. In one town, protesters were holding captive a local governor and a prosecutor.

The Government has promised not to use force against the rioters and agreed to talk to the Opposition after order has been restored, but the Opposition leaders demanded that Mr. Akayev meet them for negotiations.

Mr. Akayev has not responded to the demand, but ordered the Central Election Commission and the Supreme Court to look into charges of election fraud.

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