Bakiyev`s supporters trying to start ethnic conflict - official.

BISHKEK, May 20 (Itar-Tass) - Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan's
provisional government Omurbek Tekebayev accused the supporters of the
former government of the attempts to start an ethnic conflict in the
republic.
"The government overthrow attempts on May 12-14 failed; people did not
support them, so they chose another method to fight the authorities," said
Tekebayev, who is in charge of Constitutional reform.
Bakiyev's followers are trying to unsettle the situation in the
country by inciting ethnic tensions, he said.
"They've been working on it for a month. Ethnic relations are a
sensitive thing. And inciting strife is inadmissible," Tekebayev
underlined.
The revisionists are making all efforts to foil the June 27
Constitutional referendum and the parliamentary election due in autumn.
"Many forces inside and outside of the republic are interested in it.
However, the provisional government will take all measures to prevent this
development of events," Tekebayev assured.
On Wednesday, Uzbek and Kyrgyz groups clashed in Jalalabad. Two people
died and some 70 were wounded. The provisional government declared a state
of emergency and curfew in this regional center in the south of the
republic. The Wednesday night was calm, but disturbances broke out again
in the morning.
Earlier reports said Jalalabad protesters took acting governor Bektur
Asanov and special representative for the south of the republic, acting
Defense Minister Ismail Isakov hostage, some eye-witnesses later claimed
that the crowd -- that gathered at the race track -- was just holding by
force the representatives of the authorities who had come for talks. The
rally reportedly gathered some 2,000 to 3,000 people.
-0-myz/gor