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24/03/2005
Protestors storm presidential palace in Kyrgyzstan
Hundreds of opposition activists have stormed the presidential palace, the White House, in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishek.
The storming is the latest in a wave of angry protests aimed at forcing President Askar Akayev to resign following allegations of election fraud. Protestors also took over the state-run TV station and announced the government had collapsed.
Mr Akayev’s whereabouts are unknown, but there is speculation he is in talks with officials from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the outskirts of Bishkek.
OSCE Chairman, Alojz Peterle, arrived in Bishkek on Thursday for talks with government and opposition leaders, which he hoped would help achieve an easing of current political tensions. He was holding talks with the Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov, who confirmed the government’s readiness to talk to the political opposition, when the news arrived that protestors had seized the presidential palace and other government headquarters.
Mr Peterle urged all sides to refrain from violence and to start talking as soon as possible. He said the OSCE was ready to mediate to help achieve a peaceful solution to the current crisis.
The opposition, which now claims to be in contriol of the country's capital Bishek, is accusing the government of rigging two rounds of parliamentary elections last month and earlier this month that gave it an overwhelming victory.
Monitors from the OSCE criticised the parliamentary poll saying that there had been vote buying, disqualification of opposition figures and media manipulation.
(CD/SP)
The storming is the latest in a wave of angry protests aimed at forcing President Askar Akayev to resign following allegations of election fraud. Protestors also took over the state-run TV station and announced the government had collapsed.
Mr Akayev’s whereabouts are unknown, but there is speculation he is in talks with officials from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the outskirts of Bishkek.
OSCE Chairman, Alojz Peterle, arrived in Bishkek on Thursday for talks with government and opposition leaders, which he hoped would help achieve an easing of current political tensions. He was holding talks with the Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov, who confirmed the government’s readiness to talk to the political opposition, when the news arrived that protestors had seized the presidential palace and other government headquarters.
Mr Peterle urged all sides to refrain from violence and to start talking as soon as possible. He said the OSCE was ready to mediate to help achieve a peaceful solution to the current crisis.
The opposition, which now claims to be in contriol of the country's capital Bishek, is accusing the government of rigging two rounds of parliamentary elections last month and earlier this month that gave it an overwhelming victory.
Monitors from the OSCE criticised the parliamentary poll saying that there had been vote buying, disqualification of opposition figures and media manipulation.
(CD/SP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A rather cloudy morning, with a little patchy light rain or drizzle to start. Skies clearing and becoming dry and increasingly sunny in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 13 °C.Tonight:Dry with prolonged clear spells through the evening and overnight. This will allow for some fog patches to develop in places overnight. Minimum temperature 2 °C.
