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New Kyrgyz leaders strengthen hold, move against deposed president

Kyrgyzstan Materials 13 April 2010 15:38 (UTC +04:00)

Kyrgyzstan's provisional government further strengthened its hold Tuesday by dissolving the country's constitutional court and repealing the immunity of deposed president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the Akipress news agency reported.

Bakiyev, meanwhile, rallied his supporters in the southern region of Zhalal-Abad, once again fueling concerns of a looming civil war in the Central Asian nation, DPA reported.

Bakiyev fled the capital Bishkek last week following violent opposition protests, which claimed the lives of 83 people and injured more than 1,600.

The new government, headed by Roza Otunbayeva, urged Bakiyev not to instigate a civil war. Bakiyev said he is willing to negotiate, but that offer has been rejected by the new leadership.

The state's attorney general has threatened to form a special security unit tasked with arresting Bakiyev if the overthrown leader does not surrender soon.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for Bakiyev's brother and son on murder charges stemming from last week's violence. Both had previously held important government posts.

Observers say that Bakiyev pushed Kyrgyzstan ever deeper into poverty through authoritarian methods, cronyism and criminally corrupt structures.

The deposed leader is receiving little support internationally, with both Russia and the United States working with and pledging financial support for Otunbayeva's government.

Special envoys from the US, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will travel to the former Soviet republic in the coming days.

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