Kyrgyzstan's president, under pressure from mass opposition protests for his resignation, said yesterday that authorities had uncovered evidence the opposition was plotting to seize control of key state buildings.
As hundreds resumed their protests after an overnight vigil outside parliament, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said audio transcript showed protest organizers and some non-governmental agencies had discussed seizing state TV, the main presidency and government building, and SNB state security headquarters.
"Let's not get overtaken by emotion. There is no threat here. There are no forces to carry out a coup. But there are intentions. There is proof," Bakiyev told parliament.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Central Asian capital on Thursday demanding the resignation of Bakiyev who they say has backtracked on promises of democratic reforms.
Bakiyev's opponents have staged frequent protests since he was swept to power in a coup last year. They say his administration is corrupt and he has backtracked on promises to share more power with parliament and push through reforms.
After a lengthy standoff with the opposition-dominated parliament, Bakiyev agreed this week to alter the Constitution to water down his powers and hand more influence to parliament.
Opposition leaders laughed off Bakiyev's charges they had been planning to seize key state buildings.
Edil Baisalov, head of the Coalition of Democracy and Civil Society and also a member of the opposition For Reform! movement which has been running the protests, said: "We have shown our peaceful nature ... the For Reform! movement will only use peaceful and non-violent means."
Bakiyev spoke in conciliatory tones, saying he wanted the judicial system to deal with the allegations. But he added: "Politicians who are speaking of constitutional reform should not act like this."
The prime minister told an evening television debate "any attempt to destabilize the situation, I tell you with authority now, will be resolutely stopped."
Bakiyev was elected president after his predecessor, Askar Akayev, fled the country following violent protests against a flawed parliamentary election.
Bakiyev's control of the country has been fragile from the outset, raising the possibility he could suffer a similar fate to Akayev if protests continue. But the parliamentary opposition lined up against him is itself riven by division.
"On the whole, I believe there are no grounds for concern, for people to be worried ... Frankly speaking, all we have here is a fight for power," Bakiyev said in a Thursday television interview.
Bakiyev told parliament he would present the new Constitution on Monday that would define the responsibilities of the president and those of the parliament.
The opposition has vowed to occupy the square until the adoption of the reforms, which will deny the president the right to nominate the government and to dissolve parliament.
Approximately 500 police officers continued to stand guard near the main government building on the main square, which houses the presidency and the government.
Most businesses in the city center were closed, as owners feared the protests would degenerate into scenes of looting similar to those that characterized the revolution that toppled Akayev.
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including