Kyrgyzstan opposition factions make rival power grabs as prime minister quits
- Left isolated by the resignation of PM Kubatbek Boronov’s government on Tuesday, President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has called for all party talks
- Two presidents have been overthrown in Kyrgyzstan in the past 15 years, and long-time ally Russia expressed concern as protests spread across the country
The Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan slid deeper into chaos as rival opposition factions made grabs for power on Wednesday, a day after they stormed government buildings, forcing the prime minister to quit and a parliamentary election to be annulled.
Left isolated by the resignation of Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov’s government late on Tuesday, President Sooronbai Jeenbekov called for all party talks during an interview with the BBC.
Kyrgyzstan hosts a Russian military airbase and a large Canadian-owned gold mining operation.
Late on Tuesday, its parliament agreed to nominate opposition politician Sadyr Zhaparov – freed from prison by protesters just hours earlier – for prime minister, but an angry mob then broke into the hotel where it convened, forcing Zhaparov to flee through a back door, according to Kyrgyz media.
03:09
Kyrgyzstan annuls election result after violent protests, opposition claims power