Protest meetings going on in Kyrgyz capital.

19/10 Tass 223

BISHKEK, October 19 (Itar-Tass) -- Two massive meetings began in the
square outside the parliament building in the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Many relatives and friends of the people, who were shot dead during a
peaceful demonstration last April, are taking part in one of the meetings.
They are demanding that the Ata Zhurt (Native Land) Party, which qualified
for the parliament as a result of the elections, be kept away from it.
Participants in the meeting believe that Ata-Zhurt members are supporters
of ex-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and their fathers, brothers and sons
died in the fight against his regime. Some 1,000 people are taking part in
the meeting against Ata-Zhurt.
Some 300 to 500 supporters of Butun Kyrgyzstan (United Kyrgyzstan)
Party are holding a meeting in the opposite part of the square. Its
leaders maintain that their party overcame the 5 per cent barrier during
the parliamentary elections, and now it has the right to claim seats in
parliament. They are accusing the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of
vote rigging. CEC made public the preliminary results of the elections,
under which Butun Kyrgyzstan got 4.84 per cent of votes. According to the
information of CEC, some 198,000 people took part in the voting on the
basis of additional lists. The 5 per cent barrier was raised accordingly.
CEC is now checking final protocols, and official results will be made
public only after the checking is over. Under the law, this should be done
within 15 days after the elections.
Toktaiym Umetaliyeva, the leader of another political party, which
took part in the elections, also came up with accusations against CEC.
According to her information, all the ballot papers are being brought to
CEC on purpose, so that it would be easier to forge election results. "The
prosecutor-general's office should institute criminal proceedings against
CEC members," she believes.
-0-rom/kud


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