Supporters of Kyrgyzstani President Kurmanbek...
RESISTANT SOUTH
Some 500 Bakiyev supporters staged a rally on Monday in his home village on the outskirts of Jalal-Abad in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. The deposed president, who fled the capital, Bishkek, last week as the opposition claimed that it had taken power in the country, was also present at the rally. He said he believed that the Kyrgyz people were still on his side and pledged to hold another, larger demonstration, on Tuesday.
He also suggested that the country"s capital should be relocated from Bishkek to Jalal-Abad or Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, which is unofficially called its "southern capital."
In an interview with RIA Novosti on Sunday, Bakiyev said he felt personal responsibility for the unrest, which left some 80 people dead and more than 1,500 injured. "My fault is that I let it happen," he said, adding the United Nations should send peacekeepers to the Central Asian republic to prevent further riots.