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Kyrgyz political crisis deepens | Kyrgyz political crisis deepens |
(30 minutes later) | |
Kyrgyzstan's government has rejected moves by the opposition to rewrite the constitution. | Kyrgyzstan's government has rejected moves by the opposition to rewrite the constitution. |
A government statement accused opposition MPs of "an open attempt at seizing power", after they held an emergency session of parliament. | |
The opposition wants to curb some of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's powers and has led five days of protests. | |
President Bakiyev warned that he could dissolve parliament if a political solution could not be found. | |
"I have not set myself the goal of dissolving parliament," he told a news conference. | |
"But I have such a constitutional right and of course if contradictions between the legislature and the executive continues what will I have left to do? I cannot watch such an orgy." | |
Ongoing protests | |
Opposition MPs sat in emergency session overnight to sign a new constitution, which hands some presidential powers to parliament. | |
On Monday, they accused the president of pushing the country into a political deadlock after he failed to arrive at parliament, as promised, to present a new constitution. | |
President Bakiyev is under pressure to introduce reforms | |
Instead, President Bakiyev sent suggestions for several amendments - which were rejected by the opposition. | |
But it was unclear whether the emergency session had the two-thirds of votes needed to make the document legitimate, because of a boycott by pro-government MPs. | |
The government in a statement called the meeting "nothing other than an open attempt at seizing power through anti-constitutional means". | |
Meanwhile protests outside government buildings in central Bishkek have entered their sixth day. | Meanwhile protests outside government buildings in central Bishkek have entered their sixth day. |
Numbers were reported to have dwindled overnight, but the opposition said it would step up its action later on Tuesday. | |
Protesters are calling for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev himself to resign, saying he has failed to introduce the reforms he pledged following his election in 2005. |