BISHKEK, 27 March 2005 — Kyrgyzstan’s ousted interior minister, warning of a risk of civil war, said yesterday he was leading thousands of demonstrators toward the capital to protest against the coup that overthrew President Askar Akayev.
But the new leadership, which seized power on Thursday after mass protests, said the action had fizzled out and declared it was in control of the mountainous ex-Soviet state.
The capital was jumpy after widespread looting following the lightning coup. Tensions increased when acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev switched the venue of a news conference because officials got word of a possible plot to kill him.
The Kremlin said Russia had granted Akayev asylum at his request. “Askar Akayev asked that he be allowed to come to Russia, and this has been granted,” the Kremlin’s press service said, quoted by the Interfax news agency.
It was not clear whether Akayev was in Russia. But Interfax, citing unnamed sources, reported earlier that he had arrived in the country. “Akayev arrived during the night from Kazakhstan,” the agency quoted one of the sources as saying.
Ignoring Akayev’s refusal to resign, Parliament set June 26 for a new presidential election in the central Asian nation. Bakiyev said he would run in the election.
The new leader, who has criticized Akayev for fleeing the country when it was in crisis, said he had been as surprised as anybody by the speed of events.
“It didn’t enter my head that this could happen. God forbid that anyone should come to power in this way. I am not a supporter of such things,” Bakiyev said.
He said the protest march toward Bishkek from Akayev’s home region of Chym Korgon in Kemen province to the east was a provocative action.
His security chief, Felix Kulov, later said it had been called off for lack of support. “They are not coming any more. They went a few kilometers from their Kemen region, but the other villages did not join them. They are not moving any more,” he told a news conference.
About 3,000 people had set off from Chym Korgon, some 90 km from the capital, led by Keneshbel Dushebayev, who was appointed interior minister by Akayev just before he was ousted.
“The country is virtually split and everything is in place for a civil war,” Dushebayev said.
But there was confusion over the protesters’ aims.
Some had posters saying “No to the coup!” and “The people of Kyrgyzstan are one nation!”. Other placards announced support for Kulov.
One man, Rustam Ibraimov, 24, said: “We do not support President Akayev, but the change of power should have been carried out according to the law.”
Kulov, put in charge of security just days after crowds freed him from jail, insisted earlier order had been restored.
“The situation is fully under control. We do not need a curfew,” he said.
Bishkek was quiet yesterday with little sign of the violence, looting and destruction that swept the city after Thursday’s protests brought a sudden end to Akayev’s 14-year rule of the mainly Muslim country.
