Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Kyrgyz opposition seizes power, dissolves parliament
|
Edition:
U.S.
Article
Comments (0)
Slideshow
Video
Save
Email
Print
Reprints
Most Popular
Most Shared
Japan's video game visionary: the console is dying
07 Apr 2010
Florida says challenge to healthcare reform widens
07 Apr 2010
Iran's president attacks Obama on nuclear "threat"
07 Apr 2010
First U.S. marijuana cafe opens in Portland
14 Nov 2009
Toyota exec warned on defect: "We need to come clean"
07 Apr 2010
Florida says challenge to healthcare reform widens
07 Apr 2010
Volcker: Taxes likely to rise eventually to tame deficit
06 Apr 2010
Solar-powered plane soars above Switzerland
07 Apr 2010
U.S. forecaster sees increased 2010 hurricane threat
07 Apr 2010
U.S. reverses stance on treaty to regulate arms trade
14 Oct 2009
Kyrgyz opposition seizes power, dissolves parliament
Maria Golovnina and Dmitry Solovyov
BISHKEK
Thu Apr 8, 2010 2:40am EDT
Factboxes
Factbox: Kyrgyz opposition leader
Wed, Apr 7 2010
Factbox: Unrest in Kyrgyzstan
Wed, Apr 7 2010
Related News
Timeline: Kyrgyzstan descends into chaos
Wed, Apr 7 2010
Q+A: What is going on in Kyrgyzstan?
Wed, Apr 7 2010
Related Video
Troops fire on Kyrgyz protests
Wed, Apr 7 2010
<
1 / 25
>
View Full Size
BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's opposition said on Thursday it had taken power and dissolved parliament in the poor but strategically important Central Asian state after deadly protests forced President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee the capital.
World
As interim government leader, Roza Otunbayeva demanded the resignation of the president, whom she helped bring to power five years ago. She said Bakiyev was trying to rally supporters in his power base in southern Kyrgyzstan.
"We have a caretaker government now in place, and I am the head of it," Otunbayeva, a former foreign minister, told Reuters hours before addressing reporters in the parliament building.
"It will remain in place for half a year, during which we will draft the constitution and create conditions for free and fair (presidential) elections."
The uprising, which spread to Bishkek on Wednesday a day after starting in a provincial town, was sparked by discontent over corruption, nepotism and rising prices in a nation where a third of the 5.3 million population live below the poverty line.
The United States has a military air base supporting troops in Afghanistan in the Kyrgyz city of Manas and is a major donor to Kyrgyzstan, along with China and Russia, which also has military base in the former Soviet state.
Otunbayeva said the new government would preserve an agreement allowing the U.S. base to operate.
"Its status quo will remain in place. We still have some questions on it. Give us time and we will listen to all the sides and solve everything," she said.
Bakiyev fled Bishkek to southern Kyrgyzstan, his traditional power base in a nation split by clan rivalries. A witness said he arrived late on Wednesday at the airport in Osh, and Otunbayeva said later he was in his home region of Jalalabad.
She said the entire country was under the control of the interim government, except for Osh and Jalalabad. Armed forces and border guards supported the new government, she said.
Spokesmen for the president were not available for comment.
In the center of Osh, hundreds of Bakiyev's supporters scuffled with opponents of his regime, a Reuters reporter said. Opponents of Bakiyev took control of the government building.
At least 68 people died in the capital, many of gunshot wounds. Protesters stormed the government building that Bakiyev left behind, smashing trucks through the perimeter fencing.
A Reuters reporter inside the building saw demonstrators walking over broken glass and smashed computers and sending papers cascading from windows. The seventh floor, where the president keeps his office, was badly charred.
"The whole country is on fire," said Nurlan Aslybekov, an unemployed man who traveled to Bishkek from the town of Talas, where the first anti-government protests broke out on Tuesday.
In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said operations at the Manas base -- visited by U.S. Central Command chief General David Petraeus last month -- appeared unaffected.
Bakiyev came to power in the 2005 "Tulip Revolution" protests, led jointly by Otunbayeva, which ousted Kyrgyzstan's first post-Soviet president, Askar Akayev. She briefly served as acting foreign minister before falling out with Bakiyev.
GUNSHOT WOUNDS
The opposition said at least 100 people had been killed on Wednesday. The Health Ministry put the death toll in Bishkek at 68 dead, and said 520 people had been injured.
The violence was the deadliest in ex-Soviet Central Asia since government forces in Uzbekistan fired on protesters in the city of Andizhan in May 2005. The Uzbek government said 187 people died, including its forces, but rights groups say several hundred mostly unarmed protesters were killed.
Political unrest over poverty, rising prices and corruption has gripped Kyrgyzstan since early March. The average monthly wage is about $130 and remittances from workers in Russia have fallen sharply during the global economic crisis.
"It was a never ending rip-off. Every day they would raise prices for gas, for water, and in the end is it good to shoot at your own people?" said Alioglu Samedov, 62, a retired lawyer.
Analysts said the unrest would also increase uncertainty for foreign investors in Kyrgyzstan's mining sector and raised the possibility of outside military intervention.
Canadian mining company Centerra Gold said on Wednesday its flagship Kumtor mine in Kyrgyzstan had so far been unaffected by the violence, but its shares fell 22 Canadian cents to C$13.32 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
"Bakiyev is unlikely to return to power but the prevailing uncertainty poses severe risks to foreign investors, raises the possibility of foreign intervention and will directly affect U.S. interests in Central Asia," said Eurasia Group analyst Ana Jelenkovic said.
Shops were still ablaze after a night of looting in central Bishkek. People ran through the streets carrying computers and office equipment, and protesters spat at a portrait of Bakiyev on a large carpet carried out of the government building.
The foreign ministry in China, which shares a border with Kyrgyzstan, said it was "deeply concerned" about the unrest.
"Kyrgyzstan's situation returning to normal as soon as possible is in the interest of the Kyrgyz people, as well as in the interest of regional peace and stability," spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement on the ministry website www.fmprc.gov.cn.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier called for calm and denied Moscow had played a hand in the clashes.
(Additional reporting by Olga Dzyubenko in Bishkek; Khulkar Isamova in Osh and Lucy Hornby in Beijing; Writing by Robin Paxton and Alison Williams; Editing by Louise Ireland and Paul Taylor)
World
Add a Comment
*We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
More from Reuters
Kyrgyz opposition seizes power, dissolves parliament
BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's opposition said on Thursday it had taken power and dissolved parliament in the poor but strategically important Central Asian state after deadly protests forced President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee the capital. | Video
U.S. Air, United in merger talks
Asia stocks down after gains; euro slips
BA, Iberia seal long-awaited merger deal
Qatari man sparks security scare on U.S. flight
Toyota exec warned on defect: "We need to come clean"
» More Top News
Gregg Easterbrook:
Obama's magnificent day
Quit the carping. Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev will make magnificent history when they sign an agreement today to eliminate more than 1,000 large nuclear bombs. Full Article | Video
Hurdles could delay action on pact
Obama seeks momentum on arms
Politics
Asia's top companies see bounce
A Reuters check-up of Asia's 100 leading businesses shows the most upbeat outlook in two years. But will it last? Full Article
Asia gadget makers: Flee or fancy?
Asian Markets
© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Reuters
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Help
Journalism Handbook
Archive
Site Index
Video Index
Analyst Research
Mobile
Newsletters
RSS
Podcasts
Widgets
Your View
Labs
Thomson Reuters
Copyright
Disclaimer
Privacy
Professional Products
Professional Products Support
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Careers
Online Products
Acquisitions Monthly
Buyouts
Venture Capital Journal
International Financing Review
Project Finance International
PEhub.com
PE Week
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Other News on Thursday, 8 April 2010 Iran's president attacks Obama on nuclear "threat"
Israel is 'main threat to Middle East peace': Turkish PM
US-TECH Summary
Afghanistan plays down Karzai's anti-West remarks
|
Google, AOL patent win affirmed by appeals court
Berlin airport reopens after WW2 bomb defused
|
Photographers sue Google over book-scanning project
GM posts $4.3 billion loss for post-bankruptcy 2009
Rio rescuers dig for victims of landslides
|
Colombia blasts arrest of spies by Venezuela
|
After violence, critics say Peru's Garcia unfit to lead
|
Ex-Fed chief Greenspan defends role in crisis
Swiss solar-energy plane in maiden test flight
OECD forecasts slower growth for rich nations
Israel PM doubts sanctions have 'teeth' to dissuade Iran
Google sued by visual artists over book scanning
W.House 'okays killing of US-born terror cleric'
Auto giants launch new tie-up
Japan's video game visionary: the console is dying
AP Exclusive: Kyrgyz uprising seizes security HQ
Police investigating explosion in Islamabad
Anti-govt protests sweep Kyrgyzstan, 100 said dead
Google, AOL patent win affirmed by appeals court
|
Slovenia minister meets Dalai Lama despite China warning
US author says China media can't cover Google book
Kyrgyzstan opposition forms own new government
AOL says to sell or shut down Bebo in 2010
|
Protests force state of emergency in Bangkok
Slash Wears I’m With Coco Pin On “Tonight Show With Jay Leno”
Coral Springs Teen Jailed On 25 Counts Of Kiddie Porn
Govt: 40 dead, 400 wounded in Kyrgyzstan unrest
U.S. Consumer Credit Declines In February
China agrees to meet world powers on Iran sanctions: France
Virginia Governor Declares April Confederate History Month
Karzai seen moving to ease tensions with US
New York Police Raid Six Brooklyn Businesses In Marijuana Bust
Forecasters Predict Up To 8 Hurricanes For Atlantic In 2010
World Bank Provides $100 Billion For Recovery From Global Meltdown
Family Dollar Stores Q2 Profit Tops Views
Obama Administration Approves Killing Of Muslim American Cleric
Usher Earns Third #1 Album On Billboard Chart With "Raymond V. Raymond"
India's Kingfisher Airlines to raise 100 mln dlrs
India corporate fraud rising: KPMG report
Rare Kahlo painting of idol to reappear at auction
|
JAL plans to speed up redundancies: report
Usher, Justin Bieber lead pop album chart
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Renault, Nissan and Daimler launch tie-up
Indonesia moves to end migrant stand-off
Tom Clancy heroes team up to fight terror
Tom Clancy heroes team up to fight terror
|
Slower growth forecast for advanced nations
US returns pre-Columbian treasures, colonial art to Peru
Not just TV, Army Wives eases stress on spouses
|
Stop using English, China tells TV stations
Lady Gaga, Scouting for Girls top UK charts midweek
|
Roma children in eastern Europe still facing barriers to education
Australian mining boom leaves Aboriginal town behind
Indian soap operas draw new captive audience, men
|
Antique beadwork revived in S.Africa ahead of W.Cup
Destitute and desperate, Icelanders opt for exile
Lloyd Webber delays Broadway opening due to health
GOP Nightclub Scandal Prompts Porn Star To Become Republican
Passengers May Soon Pay To Use Potty On Airlines
Judge Rules Iran Must Pay $1.3 Billion To Beirut Bombing Victims
Scientists Discover New Species Of Man Sized Giant Lizards Endowed With Two Penises
California Teen Eyes To Become Youngest Everest Climber
News
Taliban releases video of captured US soldier: report
British PM steps up election fight with tax pledge
U.S. military weighs renewing probe over Iraq video
Columbia to offer journalism-computer science degree
EU hopes to announce visa-free travel for Bosnians in June
Iran's president attacks Obama on nuclear "threat"
Kyrgyz opposition seizes power, dissolves parliament
|
Palm shares soar on takeover rumors
Israel is 'main threat to Middle East peace': Turkish PM
Thai PM cancels overseas trip amid mass protests
|
US may seek to block Google-AdMob purchase: WSJ
Sri Lanka holds first post-war parliament poll
|
Signs of recovery for online ad market in US
U.S. Iraq command: no current plans to reopen attack probe
|
Cuba opens online store with cultural twist
Afghan Taliban issue video of US soldier Bergdahl
|
Growing number of Australians could shape 2010 election
|
Google sued by visual artists over book scanning
Greek crisis to overshadow ECB policy meeting
Militants bomb three girls' schools in Pakistan
Nuclear summit takes aim at unsecured bomb material
|
Qatari diplomat held in US flight bomb scare; officials
Chinese man gets death sentence in child murders
Qatari man sparks scare on U.S. flight
United and US Airways in merger talks: report
NZ Catholic church investigates 5 abuse complaints
Rio hit by fresh landslide; death toll at 138
|
China mine death toll at 12 after 'miracle' rescue
Obama, Medvedev to sign nuclear arms treaty
Chance of major hurricane hit in US, Caribbean high: forecast
US military reviews video of Iraq shooting: official
China 'deeply concerned' over Kyrgyzstan unrest
GM posts $4.3 billion loss for post-bankruptcy 2009
Operators under fire after US mine disaster
US researchers identify smokers with highest cancer risk
Oil to be moved off ship stuck on Australia reef
United flight lands safely, passenger in custody
Astronomers solve enigma of eclipsing star
Kyrgyz opposition dissolves parliament
US soldier urges release in Taliban video: SITE
Japan coach Okada under fire after Serbia defeat
Chinese man gets death for murdering 8 children
Qatari Diplomat Arrested For Alleged "Shoe Bombing" On UAL Flight 663
Sri Lankans vote in parliamentary elections
Jessica Simpson Appears "Au Naturel" On Marie Claire
Universal Cancels Josh Brolin-Starrer “Cartel”
C-Money of Slightly Stoopid Talks Debut Solo Album "Family Business"
Nokia to launch music download service in China
|
US, Japan agree to resume talks on beef import
Whitney Houston says drug use reports ridiculous
|
Seoul shares inch higher on techs; banks down
US Treasury Secretary Geithner heads to China
Former Dynasty actor Christopher Cazenove dies at 64
|
China Life says 2009 profit up 72 percent
Stones roadie publishes book, iPhone App together
|
HBO picks up Teenage Paparazzo
|
Geithner to visit Beijing amid currency dispute
PAKISTAN
FACTBOX-S.Korean policymakers' comments on economy, policy
Seoul shares inch higher on techs; banks down
S.Korea sees softer March retail sales vs Feb
Japan machinery orders surprisingly fell in Feb.
Round-the-world cyclist eyes Everest summit
Tattoos of love and war for US Marines
Gay-themed film challenges boundaries in Malaysia
Lau hopes sci-fi film breaks new ground
Former "Dynasty" actor Christopher Cazenove dies at 64
Stones roadie publishes book, iPhone App together
US author says China media can't cover Google book
Whitney Houston says drug use reports "ridiculous"
German minister slams Facebook over data protection
HBO picks up "Teenage Paparazzo"
Iran will not beg to avoid sanctions
Europe's climate satellite attempts third launch
BA, Iberia sign merger deal to create global giant
Gameworld: Apple's iPad takes video gaming seriously
Kyrgyz interim head speaks with Putin
Pakistani MPs do away with Zardari's crucial powers
|
Nokia eyes China boost for struggling music service
North Korea says will push South out of tourism deal
|
German Church abuse hotline flooded with calls
|
Iran will not beg to avoid sanctions: Ahmadinejad
|
Turkey, Greece agree to enhance military ties
|
US-TECH Summary
ASEAN summit aims for community amid Thai unrest
|
Obama and Medvedev cut nuclear arsenals, warn Iran
Nokia eyes China boost for struggling music service
Obama, Medvedev sign nuclear disarmament treaty
Taiwan's male 'Susan Boyle' a web sensation
Qatari diplomatic held in US flight scare
Obama, Medvedev meet before nuclear treaty signing
Protesters defy state of emergency in Bangkok
US treasury chief holds economic talks in China
Sri Lankans vote in parliamentary elections
Lung Function Of Many 9/11 Rescue Workers Continues To Decline
Imprisoned Chinese activist seeks medical parole
Teen Files Harrasment Charges Against Mom After She Hacks Facebook Account
Kate Gosselin Lands Own TLC Reality Shows
Kyrgyz forms interim govt backed by the army
LAX Delays Flights After Possible Security Breach
Freed American Journalist Recounts Life In Iranian Prison
Qutari Diplomat Arrested For Midair Bomb Scare
United, US Airways Reportedly In Merger Talks
ECB keeps main interest rate steady
Shania Twain Getting Reality Show On Oprah’s Network
Gameworld: Apple's iPad takes video gaming seriously
|
2 U.S. Soldiers Killed During Patrol In Iraq
Wi-Lan sues Apple, HP, others on Bluetooth patent
|
Thai govt clamps down on media over protests
Rescue Resumes At Mine After Toxic Gas Levels Decline
Thai "red shirt" protesters vow defiant mass rally
LinkedIn expands board with former search engine CEO
|
Afghan police: 5 suicide bombers arrested in Kabul
NKorea says it will reopen tours with new partner
Google, AOL patent win affirmed by appeals court
|
NKorea says it will reopen tours with new partner
Geithner to visit Beijing amid currency dispute
Pakistani stocks, o/n rates flat; rupee eases
Lawyer: Rio Tinto exec not to appeal sentence
Pakistan's forex reserves rise to $14.96 bln
Profit-taking, recovery fears weigh on Asian markets
Japan's Uniqlo enjoys surging profit
Nokia brings mobile music service to China
PREVIEW-Pakistan's March CPI seen up 12.5 pct y/y
Taiwan c.bank limits forex trade -traders
Political Job for Caine as star joins UK campaign
|
Hollywood filmmakers abuse lowly production staff
News
Hollywood filmmakers abuse lowly production staff
|
MGMT take fans on a psychedelic trip
Hollywood filmmakers abuse lowly production staff
Chinese imperial works smash records at auction
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights