Opposition takes control of Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) -- Parliament elected a former opposition lawmaker as interim president of Kyrgyzstan Thursday, hours after Askar Akayev fled the country and reportedly resigned from the post following protests which saw opposition supporters storm government headquarters.

Members of the parliament that was in power before February's election - widely criticized as fraudulent - met to discuss keeping order in the nation and conducting a new presidential vote, perhaps as early as May or June. They elected a former opposition lawmaker, Ishenbai Kadyrbekov, as interim president.

President Askar Akayev fled Kyrgyzstan on Thursday after protesters stormed his headquarters, seized control of state television and rampaged through government offices, throwing computers and air conditioners out of windows.

A leading opponent of the Akayev regime, Felix Kulov, was freed from prison and praised the "revolution made by the people." Kulov said Akayev had signed a letter of resignation, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Members of the parliament that was in power before February's disputed election met Thursday night to discuss keeping order in the nation and conducting a new presidential vote, perhaps as early as May or June.

Sitting in Akayev's chair surrounded by supporters, opposition activist Ulan Shambetov praised the latest uprising to sweep a former Soviet republic.

"It's not the opposition that has seized power, it's the people who have taken power. The people. They have been fighting for so long against corruption, against that (Akayev) family," he said.

The takeover of government buildings in Bishkek followed similar seizures by opposition activists in southern Kyrgyzstan, including the second-largest city, Osh. Those protests began even before the first round of parliamentary elections on Feb. 27 and swelled after March 13 run-offs that the opposition said were seriously flawed. U.S. and European officials concurred.

Later Thursday, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court later declared the election invalid and recognized the former parliament as the legitimate legislature, ITAR-Tass reported.

Another opposition leader, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, appeared on state TV and declared: "Akayev is no longer on the territory of Kyrgyzstan."

Bakiyev also said the prime minister had resigned but that those in charge of the Security, Interior and Defense ministries were working with the opposition.

The whereabouts of Akayev, who ruled Kyrgyzstan for 15 years, were not clear. The Interfax news agency, without citing sources, said Akayev had flown to Russia but later said he had landed in Kazakhstan.

The takeover began with a rally Thursday morning on the outskirts of Bishkek, where about 5,000 protesters roared and clapped when an opposition speaker said Akayev's foes would soon control the entire country.

"The people of Kyrgyzstan will not let anybody torment them," Bakiyev told the crowd. "We must show persistence and strength, and we will win."

Interior Minister Keneshbek Dushebayev addressed the crowd and urged them to obey laws. However, in a departure from his warnings the day before of a possible crackdown that could include "special means and firearms," he vowed that no force would be used against peaceful protesters.

About 1,000 protesters met little resistance from riot police who were protecting Akayev's headquarters, a hulking Soviet-era building set well away from the street. The crowd cleared away the helmeted police, who held truncheons and shields, from their positions next to a fence protecting the building.

About half of the crowd entered through the front. Others smashed windows with stones, tossed papers and tore portraits of Akayev in half and stomped on them.

Some of the demonstrators were injured during a clash with a group of truncheon-wielding men in civilian clothes and blue armbands - the color of Akayev's party. One demonstrator had a serious head injury and a broken leg and another broken ribs, said Iskander Shamshiyev, leader of the opposition Youth Movement of Kyrgyzstan.

Vincent Lusser, a spokesman for the International Red Cross in Geneva, said its staff had seen "a few dozen wounded" in Bishkek hospitals on Thursday. Most appeared to have injuries sustained in falls or fistfights, he said.

Hundreds of police watched from outside the fence, where thousands more protesters remained. Neither side visibly carried any firearms.

Officials could be seen leaving through a side door, protected by Interior Ministry troops. Some camouflage-clad troops also left the building peacefully.

Many of the demonstrators wore pink or yellow headbands signifying their loyalty to the opposition - reminiscent of the orange worn by protesters who helped bring in a pro-Western president in Ukraine last year and rose worn in Georgia in 2003.

At one point, a protester charged through the square on horseback, a yellow opposition flag flapping, and protesters chanted, "Akayev, go!"

The police appeared disorganized and unwilling to take action as the protesters invaded. Dozens of mostly young opposition supporters rampaged inside, some smashing furniture and looting supplies, ignoring protest organizers urging them to stop. Broken glass littered the floors and a drugstore in the building was ransacked.

"It's the victory of the people. But now we don't know how to stop these young guys," said Noman Akabayev, who ran unsuccessfully in the parliamentary elections.

Several hours after the takeover, thick plumes of black smoke rose from two burning cars, apparently belonging to government officials, behind the government building. A fire truck responded to the scene.

After nightfall, many milled in Ala-Too Square outside the government building, occasionally breaking into cheers.

Topchubek Turgunaliyev, an activist of the opposition People's Movement of Kyrgyzstan, said new parliamentary elections would be held in the fall. "We want to preserve the unity of the nation. We are holding talks with law enforcement officials, so there is coordination," said Turgunaliyev, whose party is headed by Bakiyev.

Edil Baisalov, head of a prominent non-governmental organization that monitored the disputed parliamentary elections, told The Associated Press that a new presidential vote might occur in May or June, to be followed later by parliamentary elections.

Kulov's release could be a key element in unifying the Kyrgyz opposition, which until now has lacked a single clear leader.

He had been serving 10 years in prison for embezzlement and abuse of power - charges he says were fabricated by the Akayev regime. A former vice president, interior minister and mayor of Bishkek, Kulov was arrested after announcing his candidacy to oppose Akayev in the 2000 presidential election.

"It is a revolution made by the people," Kulov said on state television, adding, "Tomorrow will come, and we must decide how to live tomorrow."

The opposition has accused the 60-year-old Akayev, who was prohibited from seeking another term, of manipulating the parliamentary vote to gain a compliant legislature that would amend the constitution to allow him to stay in office beyond an October presidential election. Akayev has denied that.

"I am very happy because for 15 years we've been seeing the same ugly face that has been shamelessly smiling at us," said 35-year-old Abdikasim Kamalov, standing outside the building, holding a red Kyrgyz flag. "We could no longer tolerate this. We want changes."

The Central Asian nation's role as a conduit for drugs and a potential hotbed of Islamic extremism, particularly in the impoverished south, makes it volatile. But Kyrgyzstan lacks the rich energy resources or pipeline routes of its neighbors, its strategic location has made it important to both Russia and the United States, which both maintain bases in the former Soviet republic.

Akayev was long regarded as a reform-minded leader, but in recent years he turned more authoritarian. In 2002, his reputation was tarnished after police killed six demonstrators protesting the arrest of an opposition lawmaker.

©2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.