Kyrgyzstan leader denies resignation rumours

Kyrgyzstan’s president-elect, Askar Akayev, is accusing the opposition of staging an “anti-constitutional coup”.

Mr Akayev is denying rumours that he has resigned from his position and in a statement said that it was “temporary”.

The statement comes after hundreds of opposition activists stormed the presidential palace, the White House. The Acting President, Kurmanbek Bakiev, has said another election is to take place in June. However a date has not yet been set.

Three people were reported to have been killed in the protest, and unconfirmed reports say that a curfew has been imposed to restore order in the city.

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.

The opposition, which claims to be in control of the country's capital Bishek, has accused the government of rigging the parliamentary elections to achieve an overwhelming victory.

International monitors had previously criticised the parliamentary poll saying that there had been vote buying, disqualification of opposition figures and media manipulation.

(CD/SP)