18.03.2005

Osh oblast state administration is captured

Osh – Today, on March 18, 2005, in the second part of a day, 400 people entered
the building of Osh oblast state administration and captured it.

Presently, it is known that governor Kubanychbek Joldoshev is not in the
building.

One of the main demands is resignation of President of KR Askar Akayev.

It is necessary to point that from the very morning of March 18, 2005, citizens
of Osh city noticed that near the city mayor security measures are
strengthened: two duty cars and one truck KAMAZ are there, also it is
noticeable that amount of militia staff is increasing. A reminder that
yesterday meeting participants after picketing in front of the oblast state
administration went to picket in front of the mayor’s office.


Elections – 2005: Opposition started out of term protest action in the central
square of Bishkek

14:24 18.03.2005

On March 18, 2005, an out of term protest action of some oppositional movements
started in the square of Maksim Gorkiy in Bishkek. Initiators of the meeting
gave speeches, they were “New direction” headed by former minister of foreign
affairs Muratbek Imanaliev, political party «Ar Namys”, representative of which
is Felix Kulov, and human rights defender Tursunbek Akun, candidate from
opposition Jypar Jeksheev, Erkin Bulekbaev, who lost to the son of president
and a parliamentary deputy of last term.

Supporters of opposition from Issyk Kul oblast, Chui oblast participated in the
action. Mainly they were the delegates of people’s assembly in Jalalabad.
Main call of the actions was demand for resignation of president of Kyrgyzstan
Askar Akayev and creating an alternative “people’s” government.

As a first step towards achieving such goal it was suggested to create a Bishkek
people’s council, similar to ones in Jalalabad and Kochkor.

About 300 people are participating in the action. Chair of the department of
internal affairs of Bishkek, Keneshbek Duishebaev answered the questions of
journalists about conducting force actions against the meeting participants as
following:

- Yet, they are not doing anything illegal. But capturing the buildings and
blocking the highways are considered as crime and we should react to this.

- Why your colleagues in the south of the country did not take any measures
against the meeting participants who captured the building and committed crime,
according to your definition?

- Ask my colleagues in the south about this, answered Keneshbek Duishebaev.

According to the organizers of the picket, action protest will be continued
until Akayev resigns.

- Leader of the movement “New direction”, Muratbek Imanaliev, did not recognize
any radical methods of struggle in opposition. Even though he went to the
meetings, still the situation is really heated, says a doctor, observer of the
action who is from the Department of ambulance of Ministry of Health KR.