Opposition in Kyrgyzstan Toughens

The level of violence increases nationally and opposition protests are mostly conducted in the Osh and Jalalabad provinces. Observers point out the difficulty of having a "velvet revolution" in Kyrgyzstan, contrary to the revolution examples in Georgia and Ukraine. Kyrgyz opposition gained control over the governor’s office in the Talas province, in the north of the country, and took control of the city hall in Kochor county in the Narin province and they completely took control over the Osh and Jalalabad provinces yesterday (March 21). Reportedly, the opposition leader is preparing to travel to the capital, Bishkek. On the other hand, the Kyrgyz government invited people to attend a massive rally against the opposition to be held in the city center today. The governing power has called on the public to use common sense and not to lose control. With the increasing tension, the Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev gave the directive to review the election results in the regions where the protests are at their most intense. He said that he will "listen to the demands of the People". Through various television broadcasts the administration has invited the public to unify and prominent figures of the country have called on the nation to remain "calm".

Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed his concerns about the uprising and stressed that political issues cannot be solved through violence and intimidation.