Kyrgyz leaders appear to survive challenge to power

BISHKEK - Kyrgyzstan's new leaders appeared on Sunday to have survived an initial challenge to their power from a disaffected ex-police chief but the situation in the Central Asian state remained clouded by uncertainty.

A day of turmoil and confusion, including talk of civil war and assassination, may deepen concern among authoritarian leaders in neighbouring Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The region, rich in oil and gas deposits, is viewed with keen interest by both Moscow and Washington.

Russia, which has traditionally seen Central Asia as its sphere of influence, signalled it was ready to provide help.

On Saturday, ousted interior minister and ex-police chief Keneshbek Dushebayev led a march on the capital to condemn the overthrow of president Askar Akayev, declaring: "The country is virtually split and everything is in place for a civil war. "

However, as night fell in the mountainous former Soviet republic, security chief Felix Kulov said the 3000 marchers had failed to gain support along their route and had dispersed. There was no way of independently verifying his statement.

The day's events highlighted the precarious state of the administration that took over after Akayev, seen as the most liberal of the region's predominantly authoritarian leaders, fled the country amid protests over disputed polls.

Unlike groups that swept to power in the other ex-Soviet states of Georgia and Ukraine, the Kyrgyz opposition lacked a unifying figure to swiftly impose order. It embraces many former Akayev allies divided by personal rivalries, some underscored by regional resentments in the nation of five million.

A Kremlin statement said Akayev had been given the right to refuge in Russia -- and indicated he was already in the country.

On the streets of Bishkek, initial enthusiasm for the uprising against Akayev, who had led the country since independence from Russia in 1991, appeared to be evaporating amid fears of disorder fuelled by days of looting. There was still no clarity about the scale of support for the new government or, indeed, of residual sympathy for Akayev.

"I fear it will be worse because there is instability," said Alexander Shirbina, a 57-year-old photographer.

"Under Akayev things were not great. But they should have waited until an election to get rid of him. A coup is no good. "

Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev raised tensions in Bishkek Saturday when he switched the venue of a news conference on what officials said was word of a possible plot to kill him.

Ignoring the exiled Akayev's refusal to resign, parliament set June 26 for a new presidential election. Bakiev said he would run in the election.

Bakiev appeared on Saturday to have secured a fresh pledge of support from vital ally Russia which, like the United States, maintains a military base near Bishkek.

A Kremlin spokesman, quoted by Interfax, said President Vladimir Putin had told Bakiev by telephone he was ready to look at "concrete ways aimed at rendering assistance in stabilising the situation in Kyrgyzstan". Western countries have so far been less forthcoming towards the new leaders.

Earlier, Bakiev had said he hoped Russia would help with fuel supplies.

The pace of events appears to have overwhelmed the new leaders, who appear hard put to assert control.

"It didn't enter my head this could happen. God forbid that anyone should come to power in this way. I am not a supporter of such things, but what happened happened," Bakiev said.

- REUTERS