Global General

Supporters of former Kyrgyz president block building

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-18 11:39

BISHKEK -- Dozens of supporters of deposed Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Saturday afternoon broke into an administrative building in the southern region of Jalalabad and blocked the entrance.

Local media reported that about 500 Bakiyev supporters gathered at the regional capital city of Jalalabad to rally for Bakiyev who earlier had resigned and left the country.

More than 50 women broke into the administrative building during the rally and blocked all entrances. The building remains closed off according to the latest reports.

Edil Baisalov, a spokesman for the interim government, said the situation remained under control.

"The peak of tension in the Jalalabad region is already behind us, but settling the situation will take some time," Baisalov said. "It also took several days for the situation in Bishkek to normalize."

Bakiyev, who announced his resignation Thursday, left the southern Kazakh city of Taraza on Saturday for the Belarusian capital of Minsk.

The departure came only two days after Bakiyev arrived in Kazakhstan under the mediation of Russia, Kazakhstan and the United States.

Bakiyev fled to southern Kyrgyzstan last week after thousands of opposition protesters clashed with security forces throughout the country, driving out local governments and seizing government headquarters in Bishkek.

The opposition has formed an interim government led by former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva.